First Comes Friendship
by iheartShules
Summary: The team receives simultaneous numbers that are related as they happen to be the same man, John. But what rattles Carter the most is her attraction to him. Pairing: Careese(as if I write anything else). Summary is bleh but I can't give too much away, and the story is AU! It takes place just after the events in 3x09.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This story is definitely AU for a few reasons though I won't get into them all as you find out a couple right in chapter one, but, the ones I want to tell everyone about is that Joss Carter is obviously alive as well as John never joined the CIA which is the biggy. And with John not joining the CIA he's a little lighter not weighed down with his traumatic past, but I promise he'll be John Reese we know just with minor differences. Most of my AUs I try to keep the characters true to their personalities as the show dictates just with minor tweaks to fit my story.**

**And if you guys are eyeballing the title wondering what it's all about, I promise it will make sense eventually. And it's Careese-y so if you aren't a fan of Carter and Reese ship, you may want to pass by this XD  
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**Thanks Elaine for reading this story, and enjoying it I was so happy. I hope everyone else does too.  
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**Story is rated T for language and some suggestive dialogue.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Harold turned when he heard footsteps in the library. He smiled. "Good morning, Ms. Shaw," he greeted warmly. She had her hands shoved in her pockets with her hair tied back in her standard ponytail and had the same bland look on her face.

"Morning, Finch, any new numbers?"

"In fact we do and from the looks of things we have two numbers to deal with simultaneously. I was just in the process of learning exactly who they were," he said as he finished grabbing the necessary books to find out the social security numbers before sitting down before his computer to hack the government database.

She smirked. "Good because I'm bored."

Finch was glad he had found a better suited replacement for Mr. Dillinger in Ms. Shaw, who had been going through rigorous and intensive military training to become an ISA agent before sustaining a life altering injury in a near fatal car accident. She suffered nerve damage in her back that with extensive physical therapy had been repaired. She suffered from spasms quite often but were manageable, however with that permanent injury she became 'damaged goods' and was dropped and forced out of the military. He had met her during rehab and had offered her the job of working the numbers, she had been skeptical at first much the same as Mr. Dillinger had been, but came around once she realized he was speaking the truth. He had to constantly remind her to shoot for kneecaps and not for center mass at first, but as time went on the easier it became for her with that one stipulation he had. Ms. Shaw was a hard woman to befriend with her personality disorder, however their mistrust faded over the near three years' time of working together and she was now a valued friend.

Harold blinked in shock as he realized the two numbers were related. "Oh dear," he muttered. Harold printed out the photographs before grabbing some tape and taping the photos to the broken glass pane. One photo was of the man in military garb, the other was the same man in more casual clothes.

Shaw looked at the photographs. "He's hot, who is he?" she asked.

Harold nodded his head toward the military photograph. "That man on the left is John H. Davis, age 43."

Shaw furrowed her brows, looking between the two photos. "It's the same guy." She pointed out.

Harold nodded before he pointed to the photo on the right. "They are but this man on the right is named John Reese, age 43 with a different social security number and date of birth." Finch said as he hobbled back to his computer to find out more information on the two men. There was only one explanation; one of the names was a fake.

Ms. Shaw rounded the table to watch him over his shoulder as he dragged up information on the two men. "So one has to be an alias of some kind?—I bet it's John Reese that's the fake. Those medals on that military jacket are authentic."

If he was a betting man, he'd put all his chips there too, which was why he was drawing up all the information there was to be had on John H. Davis first. Harold opened the house deed in the name of John Davis in New Rochelle New York, which had been foreclosed on a little over two years ago. There was also a marriage certificate with his wife Jessica Davis from 2007. Harold furthered his search finding a death certificate for Jessica Davis in December 2010, before finding an autopsy report, her death was ruled a suicide.

"Looks like not all was well in the Davis household." Shaw muttered, as he drew up legal papers. "Davis filed for separation from his wife two months prior to her death, then he served the wifey with divorce papers the day she took her own life; he was asking for full custody of their daughter Aubrey Rose Davis," Shaw said reading out loud the same thing that he was reading quietly.

Harold minimized what they were reading to find out if there was anything on an Aubrey Rose Reese. "Mr. Davis is quite intelligent, Ms. Shaw," he murmured. Shaw leaned closer.

"I'll be damned," she muttered.

"No one would ever think this wasn't a real birth certificate for his daughter, it's a well done forgery." He was sure no one would ever notice the difference, but, since he was looking for them he saw the very subtle differences. Harold hacked the database for Aubrey Rose Davis and Aubrey Rose Reese's social security numbers, and what he uncovered shocked him. "Mr. Davis is no ordinary man, Ms. Shaw," Harold whispered. She furrowed her brows.

"Why do you say that?"

"Look at his daughter's social security number."

Ms. Shaw leaned over him, looking it over. "Yeah, what of it?"

"This is the only one available for his daughter." Harold said. Shaw eyed him, then shrugged. "Ms. Shaw, it states Aubrey Rose Reese." Harold further explained and waited for her to put two and two together.

Her eyes widened, finally realizing what he meant. "Shit, this guy is good." Shaw sounded impressed with Mr. Davis's illegal activity.

"Indeed, Mr. Davis hacked the database and changed his daughter's name logged on her real social security to Aubrey Rose Reese, effectively erasing Aubrey Rose Davis altogether," Harold said looking up at his friend as she straightened.

"Judging by the fact that Davis has a different social for his alias that means he assumed a dead guy's life or he purchased a deceased person's social security number off the black market. But why would he hack the database for his daughter's?" Shaw wondered.

"Quite possibly to not raise suspicion, not many deceased children's social security numbers come up on the black market, Ms. Shaw. I don't believe he assumed anyone's life, not with the meticulous care he has taken for his daughter. No, Mr. Davis went into hiding for some reason and whatever that reason might be is what's catching up with him. I'm not sure if he's the perpetrator or the victim at this point. But whoever Mr. Davis is, he is extremely intelligent and gifted individual. He quit the military permanently in 2005, when he went back to school and got a BA in business."

Shaw eyed the computer. "Black belts in krav maga and jujitsu at a young age, several brushes with the law, forced into boot camp, and then later joined the military. Seems like he found his niche with the military and rose up to Special Forces. I wonder why Langley didn't come knocking?" she muttered. Langley always wanted those types of boys.

Finch searched a bit further into Mr. Davis's past, combing through everything. "They did."

"CIA came knocking?"

He nodded. "He declined their offer, instead he worked quietly at an advertising firm, a nice job and was rising up in the company until he suddenly quit," Harold explained as he sifted through John Davis' information. "He quit about a month after his daughter was born, before working part-time at a coffee shop as a barista." Shaw frowned. Why would he quit a cushy little job where he was rising up the ranks, for a job at a coffee shop, effectively throwing away all that schooling he had?

"What about his alias Reese? Let's dig up some dirt on who he is now."

Harold pulled up information on John Reese. Harold noticed that much was the same for John Reese as John Davis, but with understated differences. "John Reese works as a weapons instructor with the police academy while on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday nights he teaches women self-defense classes at a local gym." Shaw pulled out her cell phone. "Who are you going to call, Ms. Shaw?"

"Carter, so she can go have a little chat with John Reese."

* * *

Joss climbed out of her car, yawning. Two weeks ago she took down HR with the help of Shaw and Finch. Simmons was in jail while Quinn was in protective custody after turning state evidence against the Russians. Everyone wanted the guy dead now, not that she cared. She was just happy to have gotten justice for Cal, got her job back, and now could focus on healing. She had pushed aside her emotions trying to gather enough evidence on HR to use to bring them down. Now that it was over with, she needed to finally deal with what happened to Cal.

Joss still couldn't believe that Shaw and Finch got their numbers from a super-computer. It was unnerving as hell, but Finch and Shaw explained it to her as best as they could when she had flippantly ousted she figured it out. It didn't take a rocket scientist, but, while she figured it out that it was a super computer of some sort she hadn't realized exactly what it was. Harold called it The Machine, which was an A.I., and it gave numbers, not names. But the social security numbers it gave were from the irrelevant list which they got, while the numbers from the relevant list went to the government agencies that dealt with terrorists and massacres.

And John Davis aka John Reese was the next number on that irrelevant list.

She entered the police academy, finding the office before asking where Instructor John Reese was. The woman was extremely helpful once she flashed her badge and that she needed to ask him just a couple questions to help with an investigation. Joss exited the office, walking down the long hallway towards the classroom he was in. The class was to end in a few minutes which helped her out, because he had a simulation to perform afterwards.

The door opened and cadets exited, complaining about something. Once the amount of men and women started to dwindle she entered. She blinked as she eyed the lone man inside the room, collecting things on a desk. He was drop dead gorgeous. He smiled. "May I help you?" she nearly closed her eyes. His voice was like a soft croon, so damned sexy.

"John Reese?"

"Yes."

"I'm Detective Joss Carter."

"Detective? What precinct?" he asked with that smile still residing on his face.

"Eighth, I was hoping to just ask you a quick question," she said with a quick smile as he walked towards her. Suddenly she felt tiny in his presence as she realized he was quite tall. He had a full set of lashes that framed a heart-stopping pair of blue eyes, not to mention high cheekbones that a model would kill for. He had gray sprinkling through his hair, but most of it sat at his temples, with a cowlick standing tall and untamed. His hair was free of any hair care products, just cut brutally short like he was trying to hide curls that wanted to make their way out if he didn't. Joss felt desire wallop her in the face as she eyed the man.

She tried to ignore the instant attraction as she held out her hand which he gladly took. "Ask away, detective." He said quietly. When she realized he was trying to drop her hand, she hastily let go, feeling heat warm her face in embarrassment.

Joss had his students list, thanks to Harold, so the lie was going to be easy. This meet and greet was to get ears on him. "It's nothing official, I'm friends with Cadet Stafford's mom who is driving me crazy with wanting to know how her daughter is doing in the academy and asked me to find out for her. I gave in, it's just easier," she said with a quick but innocent smile.

He laughed and it was a sexy sound. Joss was quickly learning that everything about John Davis or Reese was sexy. "You're a wonderful friend."

She shrugged. "I took my lunch break early to head down here, so I can call her right away once I hear the devastating news." Joss continued the breezy talk to keep him from knowing it was a fib.

"Well Cadet Stafford is doing a wonderful job in weapons training. She'll do well in the simulation, so you can tell her mother, at least for my class, she is doing alright."

"Have you been an instructor long?" Joss asked gently, as she walked beside him when he motioned for her to walk with him.

"A couple years now. I swear I'll have Stafford ready for being a police officer," he promised with a quick wink, and Joss felt herself floundering under his intense sex appeal. How did female cadets even pay attention in his class?

"I wasn't implying you wouldn't." she assured him.

"It's okay, you're protective for your friend, I understand, and I'd probably be just like that if my daughter decides to be a cop one day."

She pounced on the chance to further their conversation. "You have a daughter, what's her name?" She asked as she blue-jacked his phone. His eyes furrowed when his phone beeped. He pulled it out, watching as it shut off.

"That's odd, I just charged this thing." he murmured as he turned it back on, before looking at her. "Uh, my daughter's name is Aubrey."

"Pretty name."

"Yeah." His eyes lit up when he thought or spoke about his daughter.

"How old is she?"

"She's five, you have any kids?" he asked as they walked down the hall.

She was detecting a hint that he was trying to steer the conversation off of him. "Yeah, a teenage son who is 17, going on 30." He laughed again. This man had a dazzling and ready smile, sexy but easy laugh, and not at all acting as somebody with something to hide.

"You don't look old enough to have a teenage son, detective."

A smile of her own pulled at her lips. "I take that as a compliment, Instructor." She said softly.

He paused in the middle of the hall. "John, please, and it wasn't a compliment, just stating a fact," he said and Joss swallowed hard as his eyes dipped down her body giving her a very slow once-over. She felt her body heat up as his eyes skimmed over her breasts and back up to her face. She stared into his eyes and saw attraction for her swimming in them. Uh-oh, not good, not good at all, she was attracted to him as much as he was to her.

"Well, uh, I guess, um I should let you go." She wished the floor would open up and eat her whole as she stuttered like a buffoon.

"Yes it was nice meeting you, detective, but I have a simulation to perform."

"Joss," she hastened to correct him. "And it was very nice to meet you too, and thanks for the info, now I only have a few more instructors to find and harass." John laughed softly again before turning away, moving down the hall slowly. He had some serious swagger, walked like he owned the damn world. Her eyes dipped down, watching the way his dress slacks curved to his butt. She sighed, hitting her earwig connecting with Shaw. "I met him."

"And what's your take on him?" Shaw wondered.

John Davis or Reese was sexy, had a nice butt, beautiful sparkling blue eyes, smelled delicious, and was a soft-spoken man, but all of which wasn't what Shaw was asking for. "I don't think he's the perpetrator, my gut instinct tells me he's the victim and we need to protect him."

"That's what I was figuring you were going to say."

Joss turned to walk to the exit of the academy, trying to put the man she just met out of her mind. "Call me if you need an assist, Shaw."

"Will do," she assured her and disconnected. She needed to head back to the precinct, get back to work, and do a little research of her own on John H. Davis and John Reese.

* * *

AN: I promise John won't be so different that you can't recognize him. The idea of having John NOT in the CIA living a different life but still meeting the team is a fun Alternate Universe for me to delve in. In this AU I finally managed to get to write something that I have always wanted into a story but you won't get to see that until chapter 2.

Anyways, thanks for reading I hope you guys enjoy this XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: And I know I thanked SWWoman before for letting me use her last name of 'Davis' for John but I want to reiterate it, thank you SWWoman for letting me use it, it's perfect for John XOXOXOXOXOXO**

* * *

John exited his Chrysler 300, moving towards the elementary school to wait with the other parents to pick up their children from Mrs. McDonald's class. "Hey John!"

"Hey Kirsti," he greeted as he stood beside his daughter's best friend's mom.

"I'm sure you know that Anna will be inviting Aubrey over to her Disney Princesses birthday party this weekend."

He smiled. "I figured as much." His daughter was a very out-going and social little girl who had a lot of friends. She got that from her mother, he was very much reserved and quiet. "Aubrey has been talking about it quite a lot recently. What would Anna like for a gift?"

"Anything Disney Princesses would be fine, except for the dolls. She has them all." Kirsti assured him with a big smile. "Anna wants Aubrey to stay over for a slumber party, would it be alright, John?"

He shrugged. "If Aubrey is alright with it, she has soccer and karate on Sunday afternoon and evening, so it shouldn't be a problem. It will be her first time away from home overnight, and she might get a little homesick," he admitted.

Kirsti waved him off. "It should be fine, I'll keep her sidetracked." He nodded as they turned when kids filed out of the large doors. He smiled when he saw Aubrey walking over with Anna, three other girls, and two boys. His little social butterfly was racking up more and more friends.

"Daddy!" Aubrey was a delicate mix of her mother and her father. She had his hair and eyes, while having her mother's personality and smile. If anything he and Jessica did right it was Aubrey, his pride and joy. Aubrey was his everything, his princess, and she was the most beautiful girl in his extremely biased opinion. All the mothers told him to put his girl in pageants but he wasn't going to subject his baby girl to that. She enjoyed wearing dresses but Aubrey was just as much of a tom-boy as a little girly-girl. She played soccer and was in karate, as well as played with dolls and went to dance class. She kept him hopping.

"Hey baby," he squatted down, arms opened wide for her as Aubrey rushed to him and hugged him as they always did. He got to his feet, took her backpack, then her hand. "Tell your friends, goodbye."

"Bye," she waved at them and they reciprocated. He led her to the car while listening to her day at school. She loved being in kindergarten. He opened the door for his girl, before plopping her purple Disney Princess backpack in the backseat, before picking her up and placing her in the booster seat. "Michael squirted milk out of his nose, daddy, and got it on Lizzy's dress." she said as he got her seatbelt on for his princess.

"Isn't he the same kid that ate an eraser and glue?" he questioned. His darling daughter nodded her head. "That's what I thought." He sighed as he straightened once his girl was all safe, he shut the door, and climbed into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb.

They had to head home to pick up her duffel bag and drop her things off before he took her to the dance studio. Anna joined dance in mid-September, so of course his baby girl wanted to as well. The girls had become inseparable. He was just glad that Anna had wonderful parents in Tom and Kirsti who took to Aubrey right away. But unfortunately for him, they also realized he was single and prime meat for their available female friends and he had to decline blind date requests nearly every day.

Dating was not something he really needed but there was one woman he wouldn't mind taking out on a date, and it was that delectable detective that he met earlier today. Detective Joss Carter was a beautiful woman, as he nearly forgot to breathe when she entered the class to speak to him. But dating a detective wasn't a good idea, he wasn't exactly who he said he was, as John Davis had to fade away to protect his daughter, but that didn't mean he had to stop living. He had become John Reese so he could live his life without worry. He hadn't met a woman who he was instantly attracted to like this detective since Jessica.

"Daddy put on _Let it Go_ please!" Aubrey asked. He smiled doing as his little girl requested, putting in her _Frozen_ soundtrack and going to the exact track number, having it already memorized since purchasing it a few days ago, his daughter listened to it religiously.

He listened to his daughter sing along, while debating over whether or not to ask out that detective. If he did decide to ask Joss Carter out and she agreed, he couldn't tell his princess about her. He sat Aubrey down two weekends ago to help her start to write a letter to Santa to let him know what she wanted for Christmas, and number one on her list was a mommy. John had panicked. He didn't have the heart to tell his little girl that finding a mommy meant that he had to fall in love, and he wasn't looking for having his heart crushed again. But he wouldn't mind a little adult conversation with a woman he was attracted to.

He sighed as he pulled out his cell phone, deciding to call his best friend. He waited for a few seconds before he answered. "Hey what do you want wonder-boy?"

"Lionel," he greeted. He had met Lionel Fusco a while ago at a bar where they hit it off realizing they both were both big time football fans though Lionel's team was the Patriots while John favored his Seahawks. They had become easy friends. He liked Lionel's humor, the man gave him the moniker 'wonder-boy' when he realized he was well trained and well versed in many topics. "I've been thinking."

"That's not good," Fusco joked. John rolled his eyes. "Before I hear what your first thought in a decade is, how's our girl, that little monster stopped trying to kiss her right?"

"Yeah, I had a nice long talk with the teacher who assured me that Devin's parents were informed of the fact that Devin was chasing my daughter on the playground trying to kiss her. Aubrey hasn't complained to me about it since," he said and looked at his girl in the rearview mirror, seeing her lost in her singing. "But back to why I called, I've been thinking about asking someone out," he said quietly so that his daughter didn't overhear. He waited. "Are you still there Lionel?"

"I'm still here, but I nearly fell over from shock. You're kidding right?—you are finally getting back in the saddle?! Halle-freaking-llujah! I'm been preaching to you for months now, John, though you better not get hitched I can't lose my best wingman!"

John laughed. "You say that as if you are a hit with the ladies, Lionel."

He snorted. "I know I am."

John rolled his eyes. "You seem to forget I'm there when the ladies walk away, but I'm not looking for love or marriage, just adult conversation with a woman."

He thought he heard laughter. "Yeah, I bet you miss female companionship in the bedroom too. You, my friend, have to be sex starved."

John wasn't even going to comment on that as Lionel was correct, he hadn't had sex since in a while. "I met someone I was attracted to and I just want to have a nice night out with someone I actually like. Plus it might be someone you know."

"Oh? Who?"

"She works in the same precinct as you, came checking on one of my cadets for a friend. Her name is Detective Joss Carter."

He heard a faint sound before a shocked "No way!" made it out of his friend.

The shock in Lionel's voice was palpable. "So you do know her?"

"Know her, she's my partner!"

That got John's attention. "I'm a bit hurt, Lionel, that you never told me that the partner you've bragged about so often is an exceedingly beautiful woman."

"That's because she's…she's, well she's Carter! She's my partner!" Lionel sounded like he never really gave much thought into Joss Carter's looks. He was glad because he didn't want to feel jealous over the fact that Lionel got to spend so much time in her company.

"Okay first off; please tell me that she's not crazy?" Usually the pretty ones were crazy, he knew from experience.

"No, Carter's sane."

"Alright, that's a good start, my next question is just as important, is she single?"

"Yes she is, but oh no, no, no, no, NOOOOO wonder-boy you are not asking my partner and friend out. What if things go bad between you two?" he demanded.

He furrowed his brows. "It's just a date, Lionel."

"Which could lead to another date, then another, and another, before long you two become boyfriend and girlfriend, which then leads to you introducing her to Aubrey, and she'll introduce you to her son, and then BAM you two kids are married."

"What happened to our engagement, I would pop the question before I just marry her?! What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?" John said, going along with the long winded tirade of his friend, deciding to get a little fun out of this before he brought Lionel back to Earth.

"Don't even joke about that, wonder-boy!"

"Lionel, I'm just going to ask her to dinner."

"And what about me?" he demanded.

"And what about you?" John wasn't sure what he meant.

"I'd be in the middle."

"We could share custody." John assured him, finding this slightly annoying as it was amusing.

"Ha-ha, wonder-boy, you know what I mean!"

He sighed. "You wouldn't have to stop being friends or partners with her if we decided to not see one another anymore and you wouldn't have to stop being friends with me."

"Look, in all seriousness, both of you deserves happiness but you both have been through a lot of crap in your lives, John. I don't think it's a good idea that the first person you want to go out with has nearly as much baggage as you do. If you are in need of an itch being scratched, why not ask out one of those floozies that hit on you all the time when we hang out together?"

"Because, Lionel, I don't want a floozy, I want her," he answered gruffly, not wanting his baby knowing he was angry at Uncle Lionel.

"John, she's available but not available, and quite frankly you're the same way, get what I mean?"

"I get it. Now can I have her number?"

"You just said you got it!"

"I do, but I'm not asking for her hand in marriage, Lionel, I'm asking her to go out with me for a nice dinner," he said quietly as he pulled up in front of his rented townhome. He climbed out of the car, walking around. "Hold that thought, I'll have to call you back for her number, I don't want Aubrey to know I'm thinking about dating again. She's on a kick about having a mom."

"John, I don't want either one of you two to get hurt, you're both my friends."

"It will be fine, just give me her number."

* * *

Shaw was bored during the majority of the day up till the point of that latest phone conversation. Their number knew Fusco personally, and was smitten with Carter. She gave Carter a sidelong look, who happened to be in her car, listening in on the conversation herself. "Aren't you glad that you came here for your real lunch break?" Shaw said with a smirk.

Carter sat, looking stunned as they listened to the conversation. "He wants to date me?" Sure, she saw the attraction swimming in his eyes for her but it still shocked her somewhat. John appeared to have different tastes judging by his deceased wife's photo.

"From Fusco's reaction he has been a bit lacking in the dating department. Probably hasn't had a woman under him in a very long time, maybe he forgot how sex works."

She ignored Shaw's comment about John's lack of a love life, and ignored the fact that she was positively happy about it. She was going to focus on a possible clue to as to why he became someone else. "John's first question about me was asking if I wasn't crazy. Why would he ask that first?"

"I don't know, maybe he has had some batshit crazy women in his wife."

"Yeah," she murmured, giving her food for thought. She was going to look more thoroughly through any police records/reports that were related to John Davis. Maybe the reason he went into hiding was to get away from an ex or something.

"Are you thinking he left his old life behind because of some crazy lady? Is that really enough for him to shed his life and risk prosecution if found out that he hacked into the government database to change his daughter's social?"

"I'm not sure, but there must be a reason he's in hiding, and we still don't know anything to help him."

They looked back down to Shaw's phone, when John got an incoming text from Fusco, and her number was there. "I have to go," Carter muttered.

"No, please don't leave me with him, his life is incredibly boring!"

Joss slid out of the passenger seat, peering down at her. "Have fun," she said with a smirk before slamming the door shut on Shaw's curse, before hurrying to hail a cab before John exited his home, needing to go have a long talk with Fusco about his friend.

* * *

AN:I know a lot of you guys are wondering what happened with Fusco, things will be explained in the next chapter, or well mostly explained ;D But the thing I always wanted to write was an AU-ish version of Fusco/John was that they were BESTIES! I just adore Jim and Kevin's real life friendship. And the woman named Mrs. McDonald for a kindergarten teacher for Aubrey was the name of my kindergarten teacher XD

I'm not too sure of when the next update will be, but, sometime in the coming week I promise. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Fusco grumbled a bit to himself as he entered the diner with Carter. He was irritable about the fact that his best friend was infatuated with his partner. Fusco's anger fled and turned to panicked concern when Carter told him that John might be in danger. Which led to where they were currently right now, so he glared at Glasses and short stuff as he came up to them. "When were you guys going to tell me that my best friend is your next guy on your list?" he demanded. "I thought we were friends, I thought we were partners in this weird little side project!"

"Detective, we didn't know you knew John personally," Finch said in their defense as they took a seat across from him and Ms. Shaw. Intellectually Fusco knew that but it still didn't sit right with him. John was like a brother from another mother, he was going to do whatever it took to protect him. "But did you know about him changing his identity?"

Fusco sighed, realizing he was going to actually have to tell the truth here if he wanted to help his friend. "I knew him back when he was married to Jessica, he asked me to not ask him why he became John Reese, so I didn't."

"Why did you listen to him, Fusco?" Joss asked.

Fusco looked at her. "Easy Carter, he's my best friend, and he saved me from myself."

"Saved you, detective?" Finch questioned gently.

Fusco dropped his gaze unable to eye his friends, ashamed even to this day. "I never told him I became a dirty cop for fear that I'd lose his friendship or that he'd look at me differently. I'm Aubrey's godfather, so surely he would have if I ever told him. He put so much trust in me that if something happened to him and Jesse that he would trust me to raise his daughter, and I betrayed that trust when I agreed to help Stills."

"His daughter was born in 2008 and you were still dirty during the Wheeler case, so how did he end up saving you?" Shaw asked pointedly, as it was her first case she ever worked with Finch on. The only reason she let Fusco live was because she had leverage to force him to be an asset, he was a cop something Finch and her needed, even if Finch hadn't approved of her methods back in the day.

"I know I couldn't figure my way out of that rabbit hole as you well know small fry, but John saved me without even realizing it when he ran. That's where you, glasses, and Carter came into my life to help me make that change and get me out of that situation." He said gruffly. Out of the three of them, Carter was the one that really helped him. She helped him realize he could be a good cop again.

"How did he help you figure out you needed a change, Fusco?" Joss gently asked with a slight bump to his shoulder in comfort.

"I suspect that whatever the reason John ran is something life-threateningly bad and something that he was afraid to get me involved in, and by telling me meant involving me. He was protecting me, even though I didn't deserve his protection after everything I've done, and it was a wake up call." Fusco said gruffly. Hence the reason he wanted to change and had with these people's help, and also the reason why he didn't ask what was going on with John. Fusco was loyal and he wasn't going to cause his best friend any further pain, John had sounded desperate as he asked him to not say a word about becoming John Reese. He wanted to help him but he needed to wait until John asked for it, but now with knowing his real name came up with this source he was scared for John.

Carter eyed him. "You think he's in serious trouble, don't you?"

"Carter, there's not much if anything that John would hide from or is scared about, but he would do anything and I mean ANYTHING to protect his daughter. Aubrey is everything to John, and she would be about the only reason why John would ever run away from a fight."

Shaw leaned forward. "Tell us what you do know about him. Start with Jessica."

Fusco sighed. "Nice enough woman, smart, pretty, she loved John, but she didn't deserve him."

"Why? Because she slept around on him, we saw the divorce papers on file reason listed was adultery." Shaw said.

"Yeah, it was mostly the fact that she cheated on John, but there is more to it than just that. John loved Jessica and Jessica loved John, but they just weren't right for one another and neither was willing to own up to that fact."

"Why do you say that?" Joss questioned.

He eyed his partner. "Easy, John wanted a family and Jessica wanted John. The pregnancy was an accident, while John was elated, Jesse not so much. You know there are some women that are content with not having children and I think Jessica was one of those women."

"So why not just end the marriage sooner?" Shaw demanded.

"Short stuff, do you have cotton in your ears? Jessica loved John, there was no way she was going to give him up. And John—well, he has always wanted a family and was willing to remain in a toxic relationship for his daughter."

Finch eyed him with a strange look. "You say toxic, why?"

Fusco really hated being the fountain of information, he liked it better when he was asking all the questions, and felt confused. "Their love hurt John more than it made him happy, especially after Aubrey was born, and Jessica dragged my friend into some sort of sick love triangle."

"Love triangle?" Finch asked perplexed.

"Peter Arndt was a former fiancé that she dumped when she learned John was out of the military for good. John was always Jessica's first choice, she even told me as much when we met. But that didn't mean all those feelings for Arndt just vanished."

"When did their marriage hit a rough patch, do you know?" Finch questioned further. Their research on the man hadn't offered any such details on their number and any information could prove useful to help figure out what was going on.

"Jesse developed postpartum depression after Aubrey was born and didn't want anything to do with her own baby. John didn't know how to help her, couldn't even get Jesse to talk about it, and then one day she just didn't come home. Off duty, I looked into her missing-person's case for John, he was frantic to find Aubrey's mother. Jesse was gone for days without a trace before she came home and admitted she needed some help. But also more than that, she admitted she slept with Peter Arndt, and it hurt John deeply."

Joss winced. The man had searched high and low for his missing wife, worried about her, and then she just shows up and tells him she slept around on him. That had to hurt. Joss had a problematic marriage herself, however, she could say for damn sure that Paul had never been unfaithful. He just turned into someone else completely.

"But they must have worked things out, because he didn't file for divorce until nearly three years ago, right before Christmas." Shaw pointed out.

Fusco nodded. "Lord knows I'm biased as John's my best friend and I could blame all their marriage woes on her, but, John's no prince. John has his own issues, and one of them is his intense need to belong."

Joss spoke up. "Everyone wants to belong somewhere Fusco, that's not a problem, it's a basic human wish."

Fusco looked at her. "It is, but John's need to belong blinded him to how unhappy he was in their marriage. John didn't trust her after learning she slept with Peter, rather only stayed with her for Aubrey's sake. He was miserable. It took me a long time to get John to admit that he was unhappy, but once he did he finally filed for legal separation."

"That must not have gone over well." Shaw muttered. From the sound of things, the marriage was, as Fusco said, toxic, not just for their number but for the dead wife too. She couldn't give him up even though they probably would have been better off if they had learned how to.

Fusco snorted. "No it did not. Jesse came to me to beg me to get John to change his mind, but I told her I was all for it."

Joss had a feeling that John had been unhappy for a very long time, and that Fusco had been hoping his friend would finally free himself from that marriage when she got a sudden thought. "You're the one that took the photos of her sleeping around on John during their legal separation, weren't you?" The divorce papers had cited adultery as the reason for the divorce, there was paperwork obtained by a private source of her committing the act.

"Yeah, he was going to give her another chance, because Jessica started coming around and playing family with him and Aubrey. I wasn't about to let my best friend get sucked back into that again. I felt like a class A jerk when I gave him the photos of her sleeping with Arndt even though she promised it would never happen again, but I had to get him out of that situation." Fusco admitted gruffly. He had never seen John cry before and he had shed many, learning that yet again he had been played for the fool. Once the tears stopped, his best friend hardened. "He filed for divorce not long after, I served her the papers at work where she was later found dead."

"Yeah about that, I don't think she committed suicide," Joss admitted, earning surprised looks from Finch and Shaw, but not one from Fusco. "But so do you, don't you Fusco?"

"As does John, he just can't prove it."

"Wait a minute, his wife's suicide might not be a suicide?" Shaw demanded, this was the first she was hearing that news, but then again she had to admit that she didn't read the autopsy report.

"Just minor inconsistencies, there was an inconsistent amount of blood found at the scene of the crime," Joss said shrugging.

Fusco nodded. "John is convinced Jesse wouldn't have killed herself, if anything those divorce papers would have fueled her desire to pursue him more thoroughly. John pointed out some things on that autopsy that were inconsistent so I looked it over too. She had blunt force trauma to the side of the head that the coroner chalked it up to falling after she slit her wrists. Carter's correct about the lack of blood found at the crime scene, very little in fact for her to have slit her wrists, and hardly any near where she supposedly hit her head on the side of the table. There was bruising around her wrists like someone had grabbed them hard, fresh too, and when I served her the papers she didn't have any bruises."

Finch eyed the detectives. "So Jessica Davis was murdered," he said and watched as Fusco shifted uncomfortably. He knew something else. "What else do you know detective? Please, it might be indicative for us to help your friend."

He sighed. "John is convinced that Peter killed her."

That got surprised looks. "Why?" Shaw wondered.

"Because John was always Jessica's first choice." Joss whispered and Fusco nodded before touching his nose that she got it.

Shaw sat back as realization dawned. "Jessica told Peter to take a hike so she could save her marriage, get John back and he didn't take it well, killed her, and then made it look like suicide."

"Okay so what does any of this have to do with who he is now? Are they even connected?" Finch wondered.

"Doubt it, Einstein," Fusco said. "It's all circumstantial, nothing physically ties Peter to Jessica's death, and whatever sent John in hiding in the first place is bad."

"So we still don't know why he's in danger," Joss said as she felt like a headache forming; they were getting more questions than answers thanks to Fusco. Joss eyed Shaw who was looking at her with what could only be described as a wolfish smile.

"Well, maybe John will be more willing to talk to a woman, open up about what is happening in his life, say to the woman he called up and asked out," Shaw suggested.

Joss shook her head. "Oh no, I am not going out with him." She refused, she had told John she would think about it, and she had—she wasn't doing it.

"Why not?—it's not like the guy is hideously ugly like Lionel." Shaw pointed at him.

Fusco glared at Shaw. "Hey! I'm ten times better looking than you half-pint, and besides I'm a chick magnet." Shaw snickered and Joss rolled her eyes.

"No, because Shaw, I like him." Judging by the looks she received it was obvious they didn't know why that mattered.

Finch furrowed his brows. "Please, detective, you might be our only way to find out who the threat to his life is since he won't tell Detective Fusco about it."

"Thanks, Finch, thanks for pulling that trump card on me," she sniffed, pulling out her phone.

* * *

AN: And my intention was not to villain-ize Jessica, I was trying to paint a picture of two people in love that really didn't fit well, and that love isn't always enough. So I apologize if she came off more villainy than I wanted. More about Fusco/John's relationship later, I only gave bits and pieces so you guys understood what happened in my Alternate reality version of the timeline set up by the show XD And next chapter Reese and Carter go on a date so she can try to find out what's going on with him, and because I feel extra spoilery here's a little teaser:

**John cut the engine, turning to face her. "I had a really nice time, Joss."**

**"Me too." She admitted. _Don't do it, don't ask him in, don't do it_, her mind screamed. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?" she asked as her mouth had a mind of its own.**

Thanks for reading XOXOXOXOXOXOX


	4. Chapter 4

Lionel opened the door to his small apartment with a look that could only be described as disgruntled. He was not happy he was babysitting for John so he could go out on a date with his partner.

"Uncle Lionel!" Aubrey cried in exuberance, reaching out for him to take a hold of her.

"Hey princess," he greeted warmly, taking Aubrey into his arms. He was still honored that John and Jessica asked him to be Aubrey's godfather, a role he took very seriously. He was working his ass off at becoming a better cop, better father, and better person, not just for Lee but for this cute little thing too.

John smiled. "Thanks for watching Aubrey, Lionel."

Fusco frowned at his best friend once more as he put Aubrey on her feet. "Go turn on the television, I'll get Snow White on for us in a minute."

"Okay," she agreed happily before taking her jacket off and running for the living room.

Both men watched the little girl who was already in her pink pajamas before looking at one another. "I already fed her and bathed her. She's really excited to have a night in with her Uncle Lionel."

"Yeah, well, I'm happy to watch her for you but did you tell her why you needed Uncle Lionel to watch her?" John shook his head, no. Fusco nodded before eyeing the clothes peeking out from beneath the leather jacket he was wearing and made a face. "You even dressed up for Carter!" he said almost accusatory.

John looked down at his very simple buttoned down dark blue dress shirt, paired with dark dress pants. It wasn't fancy but it was a step up from his well-worn jeans he typically chose to wear.

"Well, Lionel, you see when a man goes on a date he dresses up to impress. What was I supposed to wear?—my workout gear I wear when training the women at the self-defense classes?" He asked. Lionel ducked his head a little.

"Yeah, you're right, go have fun, but not too much fun."

John rolled his eyes. "Okay dad." Lionel glared at him before slamming the door shut in his face. He laughed softly as he turned around and walked away.

* * *

"_Did you shave your legs, Carter?_" Shaw demanded.

"Yes."

"_Under your arms?_"

"Yes."

"_Shave your downstairs_?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not answering that."

"_Have condoms on hand?_"

"Not answering that either." Joss snapped as she got the gold hoops into her ears. Sometimes Shaw could be a crude person. Shaw and Finch were connected to her via their earwigs and Fusco was called by John to babysit his daughter. Joss had a bad feeling about tonight. Not that anything was going to go wrong, on the contrary, rather that tonight it was going to be a really nice date and nothing was going to happen. Except for explosions between her and John, something that she didn't want to happen. She wasn't ready to be dating, hadn't even dealt with what happened to Cal, but yet here she was.

"_He's here, Carter._" Shaw said just before the doorbell rang.

Joss gave herself one last look before she turned around, exited her bathroom, and hurried down the stairs. She rushed to the front door, tugging it open, and stared. She was hit with his intoxicating scent, his cologne, and something else.

"Hi," she forced out.

John's eyes raked down her body, taking in her snug fitting blue dress with simple short sleeves, hint of cleavage, and the hem reached mid-thigh. She kept her hair down, put subtle makeup on, and she felt beautiful under his adoring gaze.

His eyes lifted. "You look gorgeous, Joss."

"Thank you, John." She said sincerely before grabbing her black suede jacket, tugging it on, and flicked her hair out from under it, and proceeded to close the door and lock up. "So where are we going?"

"I hope you like Thai."

She smiled. "I do actually, did you figure that out on your own or did you have Fusco give you pointers?" she teased.

He laughed softly. "Do I get any points if I tell the truth and say I asked Fusco?"

She shrugged softly, her smile growing. "Maybe," she murmured as he led her to his car and she watched as he opened the passenger door for her. "Such a gentleman."

"Do I hear a touch of surprised amazement? Should I be offended?" John asked. She giggled (and she inwardly blasted herself for it). "_What the hell was that, Carter, did you just giggle like a teenage girl_?" Shaw demanded. "_Finch, Carter has a crush on our number!_" Joss discreetly reached up to her ear, muting the gnat.

"No, it's just I thought chivalry was dead," she admitted as her breath hitched a bit when he took her hand, helping her sit down. The heat between them even at the simplest touch was downright intense. She tugged her hand free the moment she was seated. The independent side of her was berating herself for allowing such a thing, but, the far corner inside her was giddy that he was being old-fashioned. He probably would pull out her chair for her at dinner too.

He leaned down so that she could see his face, he had a eased look on his face. "Chivalry isn't dead, it's just a forgotten art," he assured her before sliding the door shut and walked around the car to climb in. She quickly looked in the side mirror seeing Shaw was following from a safe distance.

She turned her gaze to eye his handsome profile. "So John, Fusco told me much about you," she said, noting that his hands squeezed the steering wheel tight for a brief second before it faded.

"Oh yeah, what?" he sounded cautious. Had Joss not known why, she probably wouldn't have noticed it, but she did. She knew he was on the run from something.

But she didn't want to have him run the other way from her, especially since she was trying to protect him. "He told me you are wrapped around your little girl's pinky," she said and watched as his visibly relaxed.

"I am; she's everything to me," he agreed.

She nodded. "What happened to Mrs. Reese?" she prodded to see if getting information from John was going to be easy or not.

"She died." It was a short clipped answer, but it did give her the answer to her question; it was not going to be easy to get him to talk, not whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, John."

His eyes flickered to her for a brief second and there was an unreadable mask over his emotions. "Thanks, what happened to Mr. Carter?"

There it was again, steering the conversation away from himself. "Divorced."

"What happened?"

She shrugged. "We drifted apart. We were both in the military, both did things and saw things, he more than me, but I found a way to cope, while he couldn't and he changed into someone else entirely."

"You were in the military?"

Joss eyed him as he flicked his gaze back her way in surprise. "Yeah, you say that as if either you don't believe me or you don't believe someone like me could be in the military."

"Neither, really, I just figured you were a cop all your life."

She nodded. "Where'd you serve?"

"What makes you think I served, Joss?"

"I don't know, call it a hunch."

He laughed. "More like Fusco struck again, huh. But yeah I was in the military, army—Special Forces."

"When did you get out?"

"2005."

"When did you join?" she asked even though she knew the answer, wanting him to get comfortable with talking about himself with her.

"I was eighteen."

She nodded. "That's a long time, why did you quit?"

"I wanted a family and if I stayed any longer, being a soldier would be all I knew how to be. And I didn't want that to happen," he said quietly and she eyed him. So far everything he said was what she already knew. She needed him to talk about things they didn't know about, like what could possibly have him spooked enough to change his life and his daughter's? And who would want to hurt him?

* * *

They had a nice date, they laughed, had fun. Damn it, this was why she didn't want to go out with him. John was easy on the eyes, interesting, had knowledge on lots of different topics which made conversation with him titillating and invigorating. But the problem was every single time she tried to get some new additional information out of him about himself, he shut her down. He was good at deflecting, and at shifting the conversation away from him that she nearly forgot that she had asked him a question while she was the one answering everything. Now here they were at the end of the date, back at her place, and she hadn't learned anything to help with learning why his number was up.

John cut the engine, turning to face her. "I had a really nice time, Joss."

"Me too." She admitted. _Don't do it, don't ask him in, don't do it_, her mind screamed. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?" she asked as her mouth had a mind of its own.

He smiled. "I'd love too." She felt an answering smile fill her face. She turned, opening the door before climbing out as he did. She unmuted Shaw. "I'm extending the date," she whispered.

"_Yeah, kind of figured you would with all the flirting you two did at dinner. Carter, if I didn't know any better I would say you're just as hot for this guy as he is for you._"

Joss didn't bother to respond as John slid up beside her, touching her back gently and intimately. And heaven help her, but she didn't mind one teensy bit. She took the front stoop first, feeling his eyes on her ass, and she nearly groaned in agony. This was torturous. She unlocked the door, shoving it open, entering first and he followed. She turned the light on.

"So where is your son, Taylor?" he asked gently as she took his jacket after closing the door and taking hers off, resting it on the hook near the door.

"Study group." She admitted. At dinner they had talked about their children, he was proud of his little girl and she was equally proud of Taylor. That had been the only personal subject he had readily talked about, Aubrey. He showed her pictures, his daughter was beautiful. "How do you like your coffee?"

"Black, please."

She smiled. "Coming right up, have a seat in the living room." She motioned and he nodded. She turned, hurrying into the kitchen. "Shaw, I have no idea who would want to hurt him, but I don't know how much I can go on with this," she whispered as she entered the kitchen, turning on the light.

"_On with what, in need of his love stick_?" Joss made a face at that, Shaw had no idea. She wasn't typically a hormonal woman but all dinner long she had been gently squirming in her seat feeling uncomfortably moist between her legs.

"Not what I meant, Shaw." But she decided to ignore the woman as the coffee brewed enough for two cups before she poured a cup for him, and one for her. She put one cream and one sugar in hers before carrying both cups out into the living room.

He stood up, walking to her, and taking his coffee from her. "Thanks."

She kicked off her heels before they sat down together on her couch. They were both quiet for a few minutes, sipping their coffees and eyeing one another. She shouldn't have asked him in here. This was way too intimate of a setting.

"This was probably one of the best first dates I ever been on," he admitted slowly before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Me too," she acknowledged before being unable to hold his gaze any longer, and looked down. "So tell me, what made John Reese decide to be an Instructor at the police academy?" she asked, looking back into his eyes. She saw a shadow flicker across his face before it was gone.

He shrugged. "The job called to me; when I was in the Special Forces I had come across many different kinds of weapons and mastered them all."

"You are also well versed in many topics too," she added. He was extremely intelligent, which he tried to downplay at dinner and it led her to believe that this man picked things up quickly. "You could have done anything, just curious as to why you settled for being an Instructor rather than straight up becoming a cop."

He smiled. "I'm not very good at following rules."

"Oh, a troublemaker, eh?" she teased as she cocked a brow and sipped her coffee.

"_Carter, tread carefully you don't sound like an interrogator interested in learning his truth, but rather a woman interested in a man_." Shaw's voice interjected, reminding her that this wasn't a real date, and that he was just a number.

He laughed softly. God, was it such a sexy sound, like a light rumble. "You could say that if you want, I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades, and following all those rules would be constricting." he admitted and their eyes connected. He could say that again. From what she knew of what he had done to hide himself he was very much a man that was a jack of all trades. "But that's enough about me, I'm not nearly as interesting as you are, Joss, so tell me why didn't you pursue a career in law as you said you got a degree and even passed the bar?"

She forced herself to not feel a bit discouraged. She wasn't getting anywhere with him. "Is that your subtle way of saying I'm pushy?"

His smile was wide and distracting. "Not pushy, but maybe curious. You ask a lot of questions."

"Maybe it's because I was a former army interrogator, back when I was in the military," she said and his smile widened. Maybe if she gave him something about her, he would in turn give her something about himself.

"That doesn't surprise me."

She nodded. "Well, I left the military because of an injury and I had a law degree. But to answer your question, I guess I wanted to try to stop crime from happening. I wanted to get the criminals off the street rather than trying to send them to prison."

"That's admirable."

"Well, my personality is ripe for being a lawyer but my heart is with being a cop. I always wanted to be one, even when I was a kid." He eyed her and she chuckled softly as she sipped her coffee before leaning back. "I'm a bit stubborn," she admitted.

"I've been told I'm a bit stubborn too."

Joss eyed his long, lean, and athletic body up and down. "You look stubborn."

He laughed heartily. "There is a look?"

"Yes, there is, and are you going to say I don't have the look myself?"

She internally groaned as she just gave him an open invitation to give her yet another onceover, having those sexy eyes on her was making her body temperature rise quickly. "A little," he agreed. And suddenly the air felt different between them as their smiles slowly faded, and they just sat staring at one another silently. John leaned forward to put his coffee down, she followed suit, and he turned to look at her. Her breath caught as his fingers touched her chin tilting her face up.

Their gazes met. "John." Joss barely got out before his lips took hers. His lips were soft, moved on hers assuredly, and she hesitated all for seconds before she kissed him back. He was a really good kisser, as he slowly deepened the kiss. There was no fumbling, no first kiss jitters. Nope, this man just went for it, owned it, and made her toes curl. All coherent and rational though fled from her brain as his tongue swiped across the seam of her lips. Joss rested her hands on his shoulders, his very strong shoulders.

But before she could open her mouth in unabashed invitation, the annoying gnat spoke again. "_Wow, Carter, I didn't know you put out on the first date_." Shaw commented via earwig and she tore her mouth from John's. He was her number for cripes sake and she was close to making out with him on her couch.

She stood up immediately. "I'm sorry, John, maybe you should go."

He eyed her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep."

"You didn't John." She ran a hand through her hair. "If I didn't want it, I would have knocked your teeth out," she assured him and he flashed her that sexy and devilish grin he had. "It's just I don't do this."

"Do what?—kiss? I find that hard to believe, Joss, you're very good at it and you're a very beautiful woman."

"No I meant, invite men in my house after the first date."

He stood up and towered over her again. Damn it, she wished she left her shoes on, because without her heels she felt even smaller in his presence. "I'm glad you chose to invite me in, Joss. It was nice, so was the kiss, but I should be going. I need to pick up Aubrey." She nodded her head. "But before I go, call me, and we'll set up another date."

Joss felt uncomfortably warm as he bent to kiss her cheek, that shouldn't be in any way sexual but it was. He made everything he did sexual. "I will," she whispered breathlessly. She followed him to her foyer where he grabbed his jacket.

He turned to look at her. "Goodnight, Joss."

"Goodnight, John." And with that he turned, opened her door, and exited. She slid the door shut, and leaned her back against it. "I'm so screwed," she whispered to herself. 

* * *

AN: Sorry for no actual date but knowing me had I wrote the date this chapter would have been way to long. Next chapter there is a little bit of everything in it as Shaw follows John and is made, there is a little tidbit thrown in about why he went into hiding, and Fusco gets a little protective ;D And that's just the little stuff because there is something else in it too! I'll try posting soon!

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Shaw sighed as she followed John around as he did trivial errands. She followed him while he went grocery shopping, stopped at the bank, and then at the post office. She connected with Finch. "If we don't find out who the threat to his life is soon, I might be it," she growled as she followed him to his next useless stop, the gym.

Shaw hurried to enter, pilfering a membership badge off a woman as she was exiting, and watched as their number disappeared into the men's locker-room. "Ms. Shaw, the machine wouldn't be steering us his way if it didn't see something," Finch said exasperated.

That was the problem, what was it? What was after him?—a hit squad, a former lover finding him, a rival that threatened him in this life and his old life? Nothing made sense, like why he had become a new person in the first place. Did Jessica's 'not' suicide fit into his new life? Was he trying to prove his wife's murder and it ousted his identity? Too many questions without any answers, and the date last night between their number and Carter that was supposed to get some answers served no purpose beside setting some fires between the two. Carter could fool Fusco and maybe Finch but she couldn't fool her. Nope, Carter liked their number, liked him a lot.

Shaw loitered near the men's locker-room waiting for him to exit and her brows raised a little as he did. He was wearing a white muscle tank and black mesh shorts with some Nike sneakers. He had an iPod inside an arm band that sat on his muscular bicep and had white earbuds in his ears. He didn't seem to notice her as he walked right by her and he smelled good. No wonder Carter liked their number, the guy was good looking no matter what he wore or did. However he was off-limits to her to fuck, if there was one thing that Shaw was she was loyal, and being that Carter all but marked him as hers she wasn't about to touch.

Shaw followed him into the large room where there were numerous men and women already working out on different machines. She snorted as three women on treadmills all nearly took headers when they got a load of Reese. He moved to the corner treadmill, well away from the staring women, turned the machine on and began a gentle run. She moved off to the side, careful to be out of his line of sight but still able to see him. He ramped up the speed after five minutes of barely jogging.

"What's he doing, Ms. Shaw?" Finch questioned as they were still connected.

"Working out," she murmured.

"Good, I'm about to break into his home and place a hidden camera inside. Maybe we may learn who the threat to his life is that way."

Shaw nodded. "You do that, I'm just going to watch him here." And she was enjoying what she saw!

* * *

John noticed the women staring at him but he just chose to ignore it. However, what was concerning him was the brunette woman following him. She was on the short side had a sour look on her face, and he had noticed her following him since stopping at the bank. He always picked up the crazies didn't he? It was part of the reason he was in this situation of having to hide in the first place. It was his own fault, a moment of weakness, and it turned his life upside down and inside out. Had he just not drank so much, not felt so lonely and disconnected, and thought with his brain then he wouldn't have slept with the on the run CIA agent who was selling secrets to the highest bidder. Then his daughter would be safe, that woman would never have been able to slip him some sort of flashdrive into his coat, so that the CIA was looking for him. All of this was his fault for the momentary lapse in judgment. The one moment he decided to seek relief after his marital woes and it was a costly price, because yet again he was lied too.

He sighed as he continued to run on the treadmill, wondering what he was going to do. He didn't believe the small woman worked with the CIA or the government. No the woman that was on the case for the CIA was taller, her name was Kara. He didn't know what happened to Veronica, though it didn't really matter, he had to get his daughter and himself out of that situation. He had to go on the run, hide in plain sight.

After his hour workout, he had to get to work. John exited the locker-room dressed and ready to go to the academy, seeing the brunette loitering in the corner. He purposely pretended to not see her as he walked to the exit, hurried to his car. He would lose her while he drove to work. He drove casually, seeing she left a generous distance between him and her. He ran a yellow light and she followed. He smiled as he made a quick right, then another right, then another, and finally then a left. John noticed she was losing ground on him and after some more useless turns he lost her. John gave the rearview mirror one last look before he focused on the road and drove to work.

* * *

Joss was working on some paperwork for a case she and Fusco finished up when her cell rang. She picked it up, seeing it was Shaw. "What do you want?" she asked instead of a greeting, as she settled the phone in the crux of her shoulder, so she could continue to finish the report.

"He knows I was following him."

She furrowed her brows, lifting her gaze off her paperwork. "Wait, John knows you were following him?"

"It's safe to assume since he took about twenty right hand turns and was driving in circles, before throwing in some lefts and heading away from work rather than towards the academy." Shaw muttered.

Joss couldn't stop the grin tugging on her lips. "So…, you were made. Shouldn't you be able to tail someone without them figuring it out?" she said as she put her pencil down, leaned back, and enjoyed getting the chance to tease this woman.

"He's not any normal number, Carter," Shaw barked.

She decided to let her off the hook easy, this time. "I know that. I couldn't get him to talk about himself whatsoever."

"I think it's time to call him up for that second date, Carter."

Joss winced, afraid it was going to come to that. She was thinking about him a lot, which was not good. He was just a number, not anyone to form an attachment to, and yet she was hoping she would get to see and hear him again.

"Alright, I'll call him now." She sighed. Shaw hung up on her without another word so she could call John immediately. She dialed his number and waited. His voicemail came on, once the generic greeting was finished and the beep sounded she spoke. "Hi, John, it's Joss. I'm calling to see when you would like to go out next, and it's my turn to pick the place," she said as her voice suspiciously and subconsciously dropped to a throaty and husky whisper. She closed her eyes. "Call me back, John." She hung up and flung the phone onto the desk.

"What the hell was that?"

She looked at Fusco who was looking at her as he just came back from lunch. "Nothing," she said defiantly.

"Oh my god, you just called John for a second date didn't you?!"

"I did, but it's because he made Shaw."

"What do you mean he _made_ Shaw, isn't she supposed to be good at this!? Now John's going to be stressed and worried about why some munchkin is following him around." Fusco griped and his cell phone immediately rang. He glared at her for a frosty moment before picking it up. "Just the person I was complaining about!" Fusco stated, annoyed.

"Call me a munchkin again I'll cut your heart out," Shaw snapped.

"Stop listening in on my conversations, it's an annoying habit you and Glasses have!" he commanded before hanging up on Shaw. Fusco looked at her once more.

"I know you don't like this and you are worried about John and me, but we will be fine. We are both grownups, Fusco," Joss said. At first it had been funny but now she was growing irritated with how Fusco was treating this. It wasn't like they were two teenagers or something, they were both grown ass adults who could see who they wished without needing permission from a mutual friend.

He shook his head. "You don't get it, Carter!"

"Then enlighten me, Fusco, because you are acting like a little kid who doesn't want his parents to start dating someone else!" she said and Fusco's eyes narrowed.

Lionel looked pissed. "You're not dating him because you want to, you're doing this just because he's our next guy on Einstein's mystery list."

She shrugged. "So? You have done things for our friends yourself."

"John is into you, his heart was broken once before and he's finally healing, and I won't stand for his heart getting broken again. This next date is it, no more unless it's legit!" he snapped angrily.

Joss was taken aback at how protective Fusco was. "You're right, Fusco, this is wrong. He is into me and I'm just doing this because they want me to." She agreed, though it wasn't the full truth. Even though Finch and Shaw had talked her into this, the mere idea of seeing John again was making her happy. She truly wanted this second date. "I promise I won't hurt him, Lionel," she vowed.

He nodded his head gruffly. "I'm keeping you to that promise, Carter," he stated before turning around and walking away, leaving her to watch him as he did.

* * *

Joss climbed out of her car as she parked in front of the gym John worked at to teach self-defense classes. She left call after call with no return in sight from him. Finch had gone to tail John since Shaw had been made and even reported that he had looked at his phone when she called and ignored it. And that led her to here. She didn't understand what happened. They did have a nice first date, Shaw had been made, not her. Something was up and she was going to find out what.

She entered the gym, hurried to the enclosed room where the self-defense class would take place. She entered the room with the far wall covered in mirrors. On other nights and days this room was used for teaching aerobics. There wasn't anyone here yet for the class, just John. She made eye contact with him through the mirror. He froze a little, clearly surprised she was there before he recovered and turned to face her.

"Hi," she greeted.

"What are you doing here?" he asked stiffly. "How did you know this is where I worked?" he demanded before he sighed. "Fusco."

Okay, she'll go with that. "Yeah, Fusco told me. Is there something the matter, John?" Joss wondered, confused by the hard and cold look on his face. "You won't return any of my calls, I thought our first date was great."

"It was," he agreed shortly.

"So why won't you return my calls?"

He stared at her for a moment. "You lied to me, detective," he said coolly.

Joss noted she was 'detective' and not Joss. "About?" she wondered as she crossed her arms across her chest as the room filled up with lots of women.

"About why you came to the police academy. I teased Cadet Stafford about how overly worried her mother was and sending a friend to check up on her, and she told me her mother has been dead since she was ten years old. So can you explain how a dead woman asked you to check up on her daughter for her?" he demanded and when she just stood there he looked away. "You need to go, I have to start the class."

"We need to talk, John."

"There isn't anything left to say."

He turned to look away from her, and she grabbed his hand. It was a mistake because the moment they touched that familiar spark of heat coursed through her, starting at where they touched before enveloping her entire body. He was nearly as startled by it as she was because he took a step back, away from her as she let him go as if he scalded her.

She swallowed hard as she looked him in the eyes. "Yes there is, John." Getting back to what they were talking about and ignored her embarrassing physical reaction to touching his soft skin.

He exhaled. "Fine, why did you lie?" he asked quietly. He shook his head when she just stood there, unable to explain why without telling him the full truth. He had a sad look on his face. "Joss, look, I like you, I really do, but you lied and won't tell me why. I'm not dating a woman I can't trust."

She eyed him. "John, I want to tell you but I can't, not yet. But you can trust me and I think you are letting your bad experience with your daughter's mother cloud your judgment."

"How do you know I had a bad experience with Aubrey's mother?" he demanded.

She smiled softly. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist, John. I can tell you've been hurt, I get that, because so have I and it makes you closed off. But I'm not like other women."

He looked at her with the saddest expression on his face. "I thought so too. I thought you were different, but every woman has lied to me and so have you." And she felt helpless because it was true, she had lied to him but he didn't know why. "I'm sorry, but I really need you to go now so I can start my class." He motioned at the door. Joss looked around seeing that every single woman was watching them with interest. She swallowed hard as she looked back at John one last time before exiting.

She sighed as she tugged out her cell phone, calling Shaw. "What?" Shaw answered.

"I think you are going to need a new in to John because he just shut me down. He realized I lied and he won't give me another date."

"Way to go Carter," Shaw snickered.

"At least he didn't make me," she snapped, feeling rejected and annoyed with herself for feeling rejected. He was supposed to be just a god damn number.

"We'll figure something out, Carter."

She nodded. "I think we might need to come at him directly, tell him straight up just who we are. He's too intelligent for this cloak and dagger stuff, Shaw." Besides she wanted him to believe she was different and not at all someone that would lie to him. But why it mattered, she didn't know and wasn't going to evaluate it to find out.

"I think so too, I'll talk to Finch." Shaw said slowly.

Joss looked down. "Well if you do decide to tell him the truth, let me know, because I want in on that. I want him to know the truth about me too."

"Upset he gave you the old heave ho, eh, Carter?"

"Being rejected, even by a man who is just a case, still is rejection."

"Oh, so now you don't like him and he's just a number?" Shaw sounded unconvinced.

"I do like him but he _is_ just a number," she agreed.

Shaw laughed softly. "Then why does it matter if he knows why you lied or not if he's just a number and not a man you're interested in scorching the sheets with."

"It's because I want him to know that not every woman he meets will lie to him." That sounded like a halfway decent reason if you asked her, but judging by the snort Shaw made she wasn't buying it.

"Right, whatever Carter, I'll call you when we need you."

She slowly hung up with Shaw, determined to help save John, and then tell him the truth.

* * *

AN: Happy April Fool's Day, hopefully no one was pranked too badly I never really enjoyed the tradition/day but I know some love it. Next chapter is a humdinger (well not really or maybe) so much so I'm withholding any teasers XD

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN: Look out for all the updates! I'm somewhat shocked I have so much free time this week, though I know there won't be any new update until next week sometime.  
**_

_**One thing, the italics is because the team is listening in on a phone conversation, but otherwise there's nothing of interest to note. I hope you enjoy,**_

* * *

Finch sat with Ms. Shaw and Detective Carter in his car on the following night, watching Mr. Reese from afar. He left Bear at the library. They were relegated to following the man in the shadows after he had made Shaw and adamantly refused to go out with Detective Carter again.

"We need to figure out who is after this man as his numbers came up again," Finch said.

"We're trying," Joss defended. Finch didn't mean it to be accusatory or to place blame on anyone, he was just stating the fact. John's numbers came up again which worried him. Why would the machine reissue his number, unless more threats to his life were coming and quite possibly all at once?

"It's not from a lack of effort, Finch. We still don't know who or what the hell the threat is. And it's not like he's letting anyone get close, Fusco is a dead end as he won't talk to him about why he might be in some danger," Shaw complained as she munched on some Funions.

"I still think we need to come at him directly," Joss stated. And while he agreed with her, he wanted to continue to watch from afar to see if they couldn't help him from the shadows as they tended to do. If nothing worked, then they would have to just send Detective Fusco in and let Mr. John Reese know that his life was in grave danger.

"Give this a little more time, detective, and if it comes down to it we will tell him what we do and tell him the truth of what we know so far," Finch said, trying to placate the detective who wanted to tell the truth now.

"And what we know is next to nothing, other than the guy is a hot but poorly social hermit crab with a kid and has bad taste in friends," Shaw threw in as if it was necessary to add her two cents as she washed down her Funions with a bag of M&amp;Ms.

The detective snorted. "Well, you share the same bad taste then as Lionel is your friend too."

Finch focused back on their number as he pulled up the binoculars, seeing him through the large rectangular windows of the pub. Earlier this afternoon the man had dropped his daughter off at a child's birthday party and had hugged her tight, this was the first day his daughter was staying over at someone else's house. Judging by how hard he clenched the child it was safe to assume it was much harder on the man than the child.

"It's clear he doesn't know what to do with himself without his daughter around," Shaw muttered as they watched him with binoculars as he sat looking dejected at the counter in a bar.

Joss angrily turned the microphone off to stop listening as woman after woman inside the bar hit on the man. "Don't they know how to take a hint, when he says no thank you he means no thank you. What does he need to do to get it to penetrate their empty heads, tattoo 'I don't want you' to his forehead?" Carter lamented. "Then again that is assuming the airheads even know how to read." Shaw snickered before she covered it up with drinking from her slurpee.

Finch shared a look with Ms. Shaw before looking in the backseat to where the detective sat. "I'm sure Mr. Reese will be able to take care of himself with the ladies, detective."

They looked down seeing the man was calling someone. They unmuted his microphone just as Fusco picked up. _"Hey wonder-boy, what's up?"_

"_Nothing really, Aubrey is at her friend's house until tomorrow sometime," _he said before growing quiet for a few minutes. _"How's Joss?"_ Shaw and Finch looked at one another, before looking at Carter who stared at the phone.

They heard as Detective Fusco sighed_. "Good, why? Look, I'm getting some conflicting reports, John. She said she called you and you told me she didn't call, so which is it?"_

"_She called. I'm sorry, Lionel I just didn't want to have to explain why I didn't want to date your partner any longer. Maybe you were right, maybe I shouldn't have dated one of your friends."_

"_I'll say I told you so later, so what happened?"_

"_She lied to me already and I can't date another woman that will lie to me, not after everything."_

"_It doesn't sound like Carter to lie."_

Finch smiled. He was trying to pretend like he didn't know and was doing a convincing job of it, while trying to show John that Detective Carter is trustworthy. However, it didn't seem to wipe away the sad and guilty look that was etched on her face.

"_I don't get it. She lied about why she came to see me, Lionel."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She came by asking about my cadet, saying the cadet's mother asked her to find out how the girl was doing, and I learned from the cadet that her mother was dead for a long time. I still can't figure out why she felt the need to lie about it, or why she came to meet me in the first place. Did she see me before and couldn't work up the nerve to meet me and then came up with that as to why she came by?"_

Fusco seemed to hesitate for a moment. _"Did you let her explain?"_

"_At first no. But then she sought me out so I asked her why she lied and she wouldn't tell me, Lionel. I can't date someone I don't trust. I stayed in my marriage for my daughter even when I didn't trust Jessica anymore and it ended in disaster."_ Finch furrowed his brows. This was the first time they had heard anything remotely about John's former life from the man himself.

"_You want me to ask her for ya?"_

"_No, don't Lionel. It doesn't matter anymore." _Mr. Reese sounded sad if you asked him. But the question became why, what was the reason for the sadness; was it because he was lied to or because he wasn't going to see the detective again?

"_I hear you, John, but aren't you letting your past with Jesse cloud your perception of women nowadays."_

"_Lionel, you were dead set against us dating, now it sounds like you are trying to change my mind."_

"_Not really change your mind. But my partner is a good person, if she lied she might have a good reason, not all lies are meant to hurt you. Sometimes, it's to protect you."_

"_From what? She doesn't even know me."_

"_I'm just saying, John, maybe you shouldn't allow what happened to you with Jessica still hurt you now."_

"_It's not just Jesse, Lionel, it's been a string of women, it's like I attract them or something," _he muttered.

Shaw eyed Finch. "Finch, he said a string of women have lied to him which I assume he's lumping Carter in there, but that's just two, so there has to be someone else. When you looked into his past were there any other women we don't know about?"

He shook his head. "John's only long term relationship was Jessica that I could find."

But Fusco did the asking for them_. "Wait, John, who else was there? Sorry to say brother, but it's not exactly like you have dated a lot. The only woman that could be making you make rash judgments on my partner is Jessica."_

John sighed. _"I met a woman after Jessica's death."_

"_You dated after Jessica's death? How come you didn't tell me?"_

"_It's because it wasn't a date, Lionel."_

"_Whoa, my best friend had a one night stand? But knowing the hell you went through during that crappy marriage it's only natural to want to find release in any willing woman."_

"_Yeah, well, she lied about herself because, had I known what I found out after, I wouldn't have touched her with a ten foot pole."_

"_Let me guess she lied about her age?"_

"_No."_

"_She lied about being single when she was really married?"_

"_I wish."_

"_Well then what?—occupation? She lied about being like a lawyer and was really unemployed or something?"_

"_Sort of, she lied about what she did for a living."_

Finch eyed Ms. Shaw then the detective. "Does Mr. Reese sound extremely tense?"

"Yeah, he does," Joss agreed while Shaw nodded her head.

Fusco noted it too. _"You okay, John, you sound upset?"_

"_It's nothing, I'm fine, Fusco. I have to go, talk to you tomorrow."_

"_Yeah tomorrow wonder-boy." _

The three watched as he paid for his drinks before he left the bar, leaving some crestfallen looks on several women's faces. "Stay here Finch, I'm gonna follow him on foot." Shaw whispered as she climbed out of the car. Reese had gone home after dropping the girl off at the party, then walked here as it was about a ten minute walk from his townhome. Finch watched as Ms. Shaw and Detective Carter followed John on foot.

"What's the plan here, Shaw?" Joss asked quietly as they followed John. He walked down the sidewalk, hands thrust into his jeans pockets, pulling his tight jeans tautly across his nice backside. He was wearing a leather coat to combat the cooling temps as next week was Thanksgiving.

Shaw didn't readily respond, her eyes on something else entirely. She whistled before calling out "Reese," and the man they were following, paused, and turned.

He looked back at her in shock. "Joss?"

"GET DOWN!" Shaw shouted. He turned and saw a black SUV speeding towards them with the windows down and an assault rifle out. Joss and Shaw hunkered down behind a white parked sedan, while John hid behind a black SUV. Windows were blown out as gunfire was rapid and fierce. Shaw had noted the SUV at the last second because her eyes had been watching three men walking towards their number all coming from different angles. It was a hit squad as they too had to duck down as the SUV came up to them. However, Shaw was sure the people in the SUV weren't aiming to kill John but rather the men that were converging on him as one was down, bleeding from a headshot. "Finch, we have a situation, meet us on 104th Street and Madison."

"I'm on my way, Ms. Shaw."

Shaw watched as John got up and ran. "Damn it! I'll get Reese," Shaw growled getting up to run after him as did the two men that weren't lying on the ground dead. Carter fired at the SUV as they made their rounds again.

"I got you covered Shaw!" Joss shouted over the gunfire.

Shaw rounded the corner of the alleyway, finding her number in a fight with the hit squad. She paused as she watched. His fighting was top notch. He had been well trained, it was no wonder the CIA had come knocking on his door once upon a time. She watched as the one man tried to inject him with a syringe before she shrugged off her vague astonishment that he was just as skilled as she was and hurried to go help him. She fired and hit the other man that had been getting up from the ground, having obviously been dropped there by John, in the kneecap. John nailed the not so skilled hired gunman square in the temple, knocking him out cold. The guy crumbled to the ground like a rag doll.

Shaw was about to go into her spiel about being a concerned third party, there to help him when he turned on her, easily knocking her gun out of her hand. "I'm not here to hurt you," she responded, surprise clear in her voice.

"Is that so, that's why you have been following me?" he demanded. Shaw blocked a jab, going on defense. "Who do you work for?"

"No one that wants to hurt you," Shaw responded between punches.

"Your skill set says you are a liar," he whispered, his blue eyes icy.

Shaw blocked his hook before blocking two more body shots. "Look I don't want to fight you, John, I'm here to protect you." But the man didn't respond and Shaw had to keep up with his offense because he was overwhelming to say the least. The man was a very skilled fighter, matched her skill-set if not better. He caught her off guard as he switched tactics and landed a harsh punch to her stomach, before landing a solid and damned wicked right hook dropping her easily. Shaw groaned as she landed on the pavement, trying to blink away the stars. Fuck, was he tough.

"Ms. Shaw, are you alright?" Finch asked over the earwig.

"Fine, Davis has some kind of right hook though," She muttered as she shook her head to free the cobwebs and touched her eye that felt like it was swelling already.

Joss hurried to where Shaw and John had run off too. She found Shaw who was slowly getting to her hands and knees. "You okay?" She asked putting a hand to her back.

"Yeah, fine, get Davis!" Joss didn't need to be told twice as she tore off after him. She could see him running. There was no way she was going to catch up or even keep up. His strides were large, he was quick, and he was in tip top physical shape.

"JOHN WAIT PLEASE!" she shouted. "LET ME HELP YOU!" He stopped running as he whirled around. His body tense as if he was ready to fight her, he stared at her with an unreadable mask. She put her gun back in the holster and held out her hands. "I'm not here to hurt you, neither is Shaw." She motioned with her head as she heard moving footsteps behind her. "The people in the SUV got away but they'll be back. You wanted the truth, John, fine here it is; you're in danger and we're here to protect you."

He watched her as she moved forward towards him. "Why should I believe that? You both just happen to be here when I need help? I don't believe in coincidences. Why should I believe a word you say?"

Finch pulled up behind him and John turned to look and saw a Lincoln sitting there, blocking his escape. He turned to look back at her. "You don't have to believe a word I say, but you do trust Lionel don't you?" She asked gently.

"Of course I do."

"He's in on this, he knows Shaw and this man." She nodded to the car as it pulled up behind him blocking John's only other escape. "He'll vouch for them and me too. We are only here to help you and we can't do that if you don't come with us."

Shaw nodded, her weapon in her hand. "You can call Lionel but once we are in the car where we can get you someplace safe."

John didn't look sure. "I guess I have no choice but to go with you as you blocked both my ways out," he said finally, not exactly what she wanted to hear but she was willing to take what she could get. At least he was coming with them, as he slowly allowed them to escort him to the car and once they were all inside, Finch peeled away into the night.

* * *

AN: I gotta admit I was waiting patiently to write this chapter when I started this story so that John could go BAMF on peeps including Shaw and I threw in jealous/annoyed Joss for fun XD Next chapter John explains his situation, and a tiny miniscule Careese moment happens XD

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN: I'm seriously freaking out in happiness that Careese will be gracing my screen again! So this was going to be posted later but I can't because I seriously need to celebrate. POI just gave me the best birthday news! Bring on that episode! I don't even care if it's flashbacks, my babies are sharing the screen again!  
**_

* * *

John didn't want to focus on the fact that the people he had been hiding from had somehow found him. Didn't want to think about hurting his daughter by ripping her away from her friends, from her Uncle Lionel, and everything she has ever known. Not yet at least. Rather he wanted to focus on anything but that at this very moment and allow himself time to calm down.

He sat beside Joss in the backseat of the car, while a man with glasses drove, and the small brunette woman that he had spotted following him sat in the passenger seat.

John turned his head to look at Joss who was quietly looking at him. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"I am a homicide detective and my name really is Joss Carter, partnered with Lionel Fusco at the Eighth Precinct, but I'm helping my friends try to save your life. They are what you can consider a concerned third party," she tried.

"I don't give a damn who they consider themselves to be. I have to go get my daughter."

"She's safe at her friend's house for the time being. Once we have you at a safe house I'll go make sure she remains that way," Shaw said.

"How the hell do you know she's there? Just how long have you people been following me?"

"We have been trying to protect you since we got your name from a very reliable source that you were in danger," Joss started. "The source is never wrong." And Joss missed Finch's smile.

John pinned her with a look. "Does Lionel work for this 'concerned third party'?" John sounded highly skeptical.

"Yes."

"Did he tell you about me, about my past?"

"Yes." She thought she heard him curse under his breath. "Why did you change your name? What are you running from?"

He made a rough sound. "Like the cops can help me. I did what I had to do to protect my daughter and I will do it again."

"So what? You'll just keep shedding your names and life, keep running….from what, from who? Why don't you think the cops can help?" she asked.

"Because the people I'm running from are government. CIA for sure, and probably more government agencies are looking for me."

That got her attention. "Why?" When he didn't readily say anything, she grabbed his hand feeling him jump a little as they touched, and was glad she wasn't the only one unsettled by the attraction between them. Their gazes caught and held. "John, we can't help you if you don't talk to us. I know you probably don't trust me, or us, but let us try to prove to you that we are nothing but what we say we are."

"What, a concerned third party, only out to save my life and want nothing in return?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He exhaled a little roughly, looked out the window for a moment before looking back at her. He hadn't removed her hand from his she noted. "I foolishly believed a woman." He began slowly and stiffly, he didn't know why he was telling them, but he had nothing else left to lose. His careful planning had gone for nothing, and they still found him. "My fault really, I drank a little too much and was a little lonely. I believed her when she said she worked as a secretary. I didn't see any reason to believe she was lying to me."

Joss felt his fingers tighten subconsciously as if he was internally berating himself. She gently squeezed his hand in comfort. "No one would, John, unless you were extremely paranoid."

"I didn't see any reason to believe she was ex-CIA and on the run from her former employers. She had been fun, nice, flirting with me, and something meaningless which was exactly what I needed."

"So what happened, besides having meaningless sex?" Shaw asked as she turned around to peer back at him.

"She slipped out before I woke up, and at some point before that happened she had slipped a damned flashdrive into my coat."

"A flashdrive?" Shaw repeated. "Where did you go for this booty call?"

"She suggested renting a room at a hotel under my name. I was too drunk to drive or ask her why not rent it under her name." Joss felt her stomach clench. It sounded more like this woman took advantage of a weak moment for him, but wasn't going to point out the obvious. She suspected John beat himself up enough about it.

Shaw sighed. "Hotels have cameras galore for people looking for her or this flashdrive to use to realize she was with you."

He nodded. "I didn't realize it was in my pocket until I was already home. At first I didn't know why she put it in there but when I looked at what was on it, it became crystal clear why she slipped it on me."

"What's on it?"

"Government secrets, lots and lots of them, I'm assuming she was going to sell this to the highest bidder, but needed a place to stash it for some reason."

Joss nodded. "So she was a traitor to the country. What happened to make you go into hiding?"

"A balding man and a tall brunette woman came to my home days after that one night stand, asking for her, telling me she was former CIA and asking about the flashdrive. When I said I didn't know where she or the flashdrive was, they wanted to 'take' me somewhere to jog my memory."

"Why didn't you give them the flashdrive?" Finch asked.

"Because I had the distinct feeling they were going to kill me once I did. Call it a hunch, maybe I was being pessimistic, but my daughter had already lost her mother I wasn't going to let her lose her father too. Not without a fight."

Shaw snorted. "You have good instincts, Reese, because the CIA would have taken the flashdrive and put a bullet in your head as thanks. You're collateral damage, one civilian for the life of many," Shaw explained.

"How did you get away?" Finch asked quietly.

But before he could explain the small brunette woman Joss called 'Shaw' spoke up. "Judging by his right hook and the way he fights, he beat their asses," Shaw commented. John felt a small smile tug on his face unwillingly as the woman touched her eye gently, it was turning black and blue already.

"I took them by surprise. I think they both viewed me as a single dad who had no working knowledge of combat skills. I was put in lessons to learn and master krav maga and jujitsu in my youth at my father's insistence, that way if something happened to him I could protect my mother, and earned my black belts for both early in my teens. And I was well trained during my stint in Special Forces, so I downed them with little to no effort using their surprise to my advantage. I doubt I'll be able to do that again though since they know I have experience."

"They won't touch you or your daughter," Joss promised darkly. There was no way she was losing this man; John turned sharply to eye her with a startled look at the fierce way she spoke. She cleared her throat forcing herself to relax. "But uh, you got away, changed your name, changed your daughter's, and fled?" He just nodded his head in agreement. "Why stay in New York?" Joss asked.

"Because New York is home," he said; the answer was extremely vague if you asked her, there was more to it than just that. "I hid in Manhattan because of the amount of people that live here. I've lived a very quiet life, rented a home instead of purchased. I don't have credit cards, I pay for everything with cash and I'm very careful to not draw any attention to myself."

"Yeah, but why not go start a new life somewhere else, John?" Joss prodded.

He shrugged his shoulders before looking out the window. "My daughter loves Uncle Lionel and she has no memory of her mother, I wasn't going to take someone she loved so much away from her. Plus Lionel was drinking heavier as his marriage crumbled in around him, himself, and he was there for me when mine did and I was going to be there for him too. I couldn't disappear on him, he's my best friend and like a brother to me."

"So that's why you asked Fusco not to ask you why you changed who you were, because you were afraid of risking his life."

He nodded. "I made damn sure when I changed who I was there would be no trail back to Fusco. And I don't have any family left, the only real friend and family I had was Lionel. Most of my 'friends' were Jessica's so once I filed for divorce and she died, those so called friends scattered."

Joss nodded. There was more they needed to know about him fading John Davis away and becoming John Reese, like did he use any low life criminal known for forgeries to help him introduce Reese to the world? And if he did, then that was a tangible trail for someone who was looking for him to use to find him. But for now, it was time to let it rest. Let him catch him breath because he looked tense and very unhappy.

Shaw spoke up. "Where's the flashdrive now?" steering the conversation back to why his life could be in danger.

"I have it with me at all times, I couldn't run the risk of it falling into the wrong hands. It might be placing my life at risk but if this falls into someone else's hands who would sell it to the highest bidder it won't be just my life that's on the line." Joss eyed him. Even though the CIA was trying to kill him because of it being in his unfortunate possession, he was still safeguarding it from less scrupulous people until he could manage to give it to the right people without getting himself killed. John Davis or John Reese, whatever you wanted to call him, was a good man in a shitty situation. They had to help him, they just had to help get his life back to him. She couldn't save Cal, but this man she could and damn it, she was going to!

Finch pulled up to their safe house. "We'll figure out what to do once we have Mr. Reese safe. His life is in danger because of his having the flashdrive in his possession," he finally said after absorbing the conversation and as they exited the car.

"I think Veronica, or at least that's the name she gave me, is alive," John admitted earning himself looks.

"Why do you think that?" Joss wondered as they entered the main floor of the luxury apartments, leading John towards the elevators.

He shrugged. "Those men that I dropped in the alleyway asked for the flashdrive. No one knows about it besides the government and Veronica."

Shaw nodded her head. "The hit squad that had been sent after Reese was low level players, while the people in the SUV were definite heavy hitters, probably the CIA. Finch, I think we need to look into matters and find out if Reese has a bounty placed on him. If Veronica is hanging around New York looking for him and can't come out of hiding for fear of the CIA catching up with her double crossing ass, she'll use the criminal underworld to do her dirty work for her," she said as they entered the elevator to get to the top floor where the safe house was.

"Very possible Ms. Shaw, I'll look into that matter after we get John settled in."

* * *

"I can't believe we missed our chance at apprehending Davis due to a private security detail," Kara snarled as her partner, she and Mark sat in a diner drinking coffee.

Mark nodded. "We need Davis so he can lure Ronnie out in the open. Our informant spotted her in Manhattan days ago but lost track of her. We believe she's back in the state and out of seclusion looking for the man she stashed the flashdrive with. This is our first lead since she went MIA along with Davis." And finding this Davis guy had been just luck, too bad they didn't know what alias he was living under.

Kara and her partner Grimes nodded. It angered her to be back in the States, especially when they had been in Paris deep undercover. Now all their hard work might be for naught since being assigned to handle the 'Freeman' case once more.

"Well I hope it pays off, Snow, because Kara and I were getting close to making a deal with our target in Paris. We have to hope like hell they bought that we went on a mini business vacation to the States," Grimes stated, annoyed much like her.

"Our French informant is watching the target and he has no idea that you are not who you say are, on business in the States. The deal will go down as planned after we end this Freeman case. We clean up our messes," Snow stated.

"Our mess?" Kara pointed between her and Grimes, both eyeing their handler in contempt. "Freeman isn't our mess, Mark, it's yours. Better be careful if the CIA learns you aren't a capable handler, you might just get yourself replaced."

"Don't threaten me, Kara, as Ronnie was _your_ former partner who stole government secrets placing them on that flashdrive to sell to our enemies."

"And she acted alone as I stated during my intensive interrogation," Kara declared with a dark look, recalling just what had been done to her to find out if she was telling the truth. "Grimes had been ready to execute her, but you failed to get Freeman to the neutral site to do it." Kara left off that had she not been taken to a black site to be tortured as she was interrogated to make sure she did not commit treason as well, none of this would have happened, and her double crossing partner would be dead already.

"She must have been tipped off prior that we knew what she stole, slept with the unsuspecting Davis fellow, and hid the flashdrive on him." Snow remarked.

Kara eyed Snow with hatred. "Maybe what tipped her off was the fact that I was taken to the black site and she was told I was on leave." She never took leave unless she had been injured, Ronnie knew that.

He shook his head. "No, you had worked months in a row without leave, she couldn't have known that was a ploy."

"There you go again, Snow, thinking that your agents aren't more intelligent than you," Kara growled, loving nothing more to kill this man someday.

Grimes eyed the two of them. "Who the fuck cares how she figured it out, she did. We have new information so we can clean this shit up now, then we can get back to Paris and get that briefcase," he snapped, really fucking hating these two, really wishing the higher ups would kill one or the other, hell even both.

"Well Mark what's the plan?" Kara demanded.

"Simple Kara, once we apprehend Davis to help lure Ronnie out with the use of the flashdrive, we get the flashdrive and kill them both," Kara nodded her head, she wouldn't mind fucking this Davis man herself before she killed him. The man was quite the looker and she could use him to itch that scratch she had.

"I'll kill Davis myself," she offered after she had a little fun first, imagining the things she would do to him.

He shrugged. "Just as long as he actually ends up dead Kara, with no mistakes."

"Don't worry, Mark, I'm not you," she snarled. And with that the three of them tensely got to their feet, threw money on the table and left.

* * *

Shaw and Finch left the safe house, Lionel had called and John and he had talked for about fifteen minutes. It was clear John didn't fully trust them, but once Lionel said that he did, John did relax a little. Not completely but a little, he seemed a little better once Shaw promised on her life to make sure his daughter was safe. Joss suspected that Shaw's unwavering eye contact had sold John that she was telling him the truth that she would protect his daughter with her dying breath. If anyone Shaw had a soft spot for it was children and she was going to hover near the home the little girl was staying at all night. Fusco agreed to keep Aubrey in the dark about what was going on and go pick up John's daughter tomorrow, take her to her soccer practice then to a karate lesson before bringing her to the safe house. Finch left after he had explained he needed to go speak to an associate and Joss wondered if the 'associate' was Elias but didn't ask. Instead she agreed to sit and stay with John for a little while until he came back.

He paced the length of the floor looking very much like a caged animal. "It will be okay, John; we'll get this cleared up for you so you and your daughter can be safe."

John stopped his nervous pacing. "I don't understand how they found me though. I was careful."

She shrugged. "They could have found something you overlooked. When you became John Reese, did you use any low-level criminal to help you?"

"No, I'm not the world's best hacker but I picked up on a couple things from others to get me by." he muttered looking slightly embarrassed at admitting his intelligence for some reason. She didn't understand why, but he looked adorable at the moment, at admitting he knew how to hack. Finch would love that attribute about him, while she would bet Shaw was probably happier about his combat skills. John fit in with her misfit friends.

"Then perhaps it was just blind luck, you can't plan or prepare for that," she assured him before she patted the couch beside her. John slowly moved over to her and sat down. Their shoulders, legs, and hips touched. She casually eased away to give herself a little space.

"Can I ask you a question, Joss?" She eyed him questioning. "So our date was what?—to find out more about me?" he questioned.

She looked down. "Yes."

"It meant nothing."

She looked up, staring into his blue eyes, seeing that he gave nothing away. "Finch and Shaw thought I could get close to you to protect you if we went out. Fusco was against the very idea of it, so please don't be mad at him. He didn't want us to do that, but we didn't know how to get close to you, to get you to feel comfortable enough to tell us what was going on in your life."

He looked away. "I see…."

"I'm sorry John," said sincerely. She never meant to hurt him at all.

He nodded before looking at her. "At least it explains why you lied when you came by the academy."

"About that, I'm sorry. I'm normally a truthful person."

"So tell me, detective, why do you do this?"

"It's Joss, please," she corrected. "And do what?—save people? Because it's my job to protect people isn't it?"

"Yes but this is above and beyond typical duty."

She shrugged. "I want to make a difference. Finch and Shaw offered me something I couldn't pass up, the ability to be there in time to prevent a death from happening."

John's eyes were so piercing and so penetrating, she felt like he was seeing into her soul. "Who did you lose?"

"Excuse me?" Joss was astonished at how accurate he was at reading people. It was just another thing he was good at. He seriously needed to think about becoming a real cop someday, they could use a man like him on the force. Smart, not just book smart or common sense smart, but he also had street smarts. He had a vast knowledge of many things, he had combat skills, weapon skills, and he read people like a book. The attraction she felt for this man just went up another notch (as if that was possible) and she was aggravated with him for not being just some pretty but dumb tool who she wouldn't be attracted to in the least.

"I'm assuming you lost someone that you couldn't save." he prodded.

She shifted uncomfortably and not because of the conversation. "I lost someone, but he wasn't the reason I joined to help Finch and Shaw. I help them because it's the right thing to do."

He nodded. "So who was it that you lost? You mentioned your ex-husband was through divorce or was that a lie too?"

She swallowed hard, realizing he honestly wasn't sure what to believe. "John, the only thing I lied to you about is why I wanted to meet you. Everything I told you about myself, about my son, or my job was all the truth. And I omitted the real reason for the date, but, your life was in danger so you have to get me some brownie points in my favor." She tried for a light teasing.

But he didn't crack a smile at her lame attempt at lightening the mood between them. "Lionel said it wasn't like you to lie."

"And that's the truth," she agreed.

"He also said I might be letting my past screw with my perception of women now. Maybe he's right, maybe I'm just cynical, but you lied and I'm not sure what to believe about you."

She eyed him, seeing nothing but honesty residing in his blue depths. He honestly didn't know if he could trust her or not. Jessica did quite the number on him. "I promise that everything I tell you will be nothing but the truth."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Joss."

"I don't," she said simply; John looked at her with an intense expression before it was gone. "But, you asked about who I lost, the man I lost was murdered by HR."

"I heard about them. I heard a cop single handedly brought them down, which I assume was you?" he asked.

She smiled warmly. "I had help," she admitted.

"Who was the man that you lost?"

She looked straight ahead. "His name was Cal, he worked in Narcotics. I thought he had ties to HR but he didn't, he died without knowing I believed in him. I let my natural mistrust, let my fears of falling for a guy that turned out to be wrong for me, get in the way and I lost him. But I wasn't going to let his death be chalked up to a bust gone wrong. I knew he was murdered, I just couldn't prove it. It took a long time to gather evidence against HR, especially since they got me dropped down to officer."

He furrowed his brows. "What happened?"

"I was in a good shoot, a guy was going to shoot me and I shot first. But a HR crony made the gun disappear, I got demoted and was told to take it or they would kill Fusco or my kid."

"Sorry," he murmured.

She waved him off. "It's all done and over with now, thankfully."

"So this Cal, is he the reason you reacted the way you did back at your apartment after I kissed you on our 'not' real date? Or is it because I kissed you and you weren't supposed to kiss me back?" he asked.

"John, as I said that night, if I didn't want your kiss I would have knocked your teeth in. I haven't gotten the chance to even process Cal's death and he died nine months ago. I spent the last eight months as a lowly little officer, trying to bring down HR until just a few weeks ago, getting my chance after learning who the head of it was. I have had to bury it for a long time, so I'm finally getting the chance to grieve," she admitted. While she hadn't been in love with Cal, she had cared for him, and she couldn't erase the measure of guilt she harbored. Not yet, at least.

She looked in his eyes, and got kind of locked in some crazy eye contact that it took great willpower to tear her gaze away from his. And then her stupid gaze fell to his mouth and the jerk licked his lips. "But that's enough about me, John," she stated in what could only be described as a hoarse and desperate tone as she stood up to get some much needed distance between them. The closer they were together the more she felt the strong and powerful magnetic pull towards him. She hadn't felt like this in a very LONG time, the last time she felt this kind of instant and overwhelming attraction had been when she met her ex-husband Paul.

John's eyes were watchful. "I thought you weren't going to lie to me anymore."

She looked at him confused. "What do you mean? Everything I just told you was the truth."

He nodded. "It was," he agreed. "But I don't know, I get the feeling that our date was more real than you are letting on."

"I didn't lie, John. That date was to get close to you, to help save your life," she said, sidestepping what he said.

"And there was nothing else to it?" he demanded as he stood up, not dropping it as she had hoped. She swallowed hard as she was unable to answer him. "I thought so, detective."

"John," she made a tight sound as he wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her to him. Joss was pressing up against him, her breasts against his chest, their pelvises touching, and the sensations of them touching so intimately was arousing. She rested her hands on his chest. She should push him away, but instead she stood there feeling her heart begin to race. She had to lean her head back to look him in the eyes.

His were downcast, searching her face for something. "Why do I like you so much, Joss?" he wondered out loud, as if she could give him a reason for it. "I haven't liked anyone quite this way in a long time, since Jessica." She knew the feeling.

She nearly moaned as his eyes slid to her mouth. "I'm not anything like Jessica, John," she whispered, feeling herself succumb to the heady sexual allure between them.

He smiled as his eyes lifted to hers. "I know." He dipped his head to kiss her. She felt his warm breath fan across her lips, and her eyes on his the entire way as her lips parted, wanting his kiss more than her next breath when the door to the safe house opened. Joss pulled free of the spell overtaking her as she jerked out of his hold. Joss looked anywhere but at John as her senses were on overload. His sexy scent filled her nose, touching him was like setting her body on fire, his voice was like sex to the ears, and the man was seriously easy on the eyes. God, this was not good, John was a lethal combination. She gulped as she nervously fidgeted with her blouse as Finch entered with Bear in tow.

"You're back, Finch. Good, because I have to go now," she said as she backed up from John, right into the sofa nearly toppling backward before she caught her balance. John was watching her with an unknown look and Finch wasn't paying any attention to her as he was hanging up his jacket and fedora.

"Yes, thank you detective."

Bear hurried over to the newcomer and John's penetrating gaze slid off her finally, letting her breathe again, and she groaned softly as he bent over to pet the dog. Her eyes roamed over his butt before she blinked and rushed around him.

Joss was extremely careful to not even brush up near the man and made a beeline for the door. "Bye," she muttered without looking back at the men, snatching her jacket off the hook, and hurried out the door.

Finch watched the detective leave in a hurry. "She must have another engagement she has to attend to."

"That must be it," John agreed with a smirk as he continued to pet the dog.

* * *

AN: Meh, I'm not sure on the timeframe of how long between when Joss technically was killed off from when she got demoted or when Cal Beecher was killed off on the show, so I hope the timeframe is correct or at least close. But if not I apologize. Next chapter the team hatches a plan that is HATED by Fusco XD

Thanks for reading XOXOXOXOXOXOX


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: My Careese/Reese feels are all over the damn place with this upcoming episode! And ****I wonder what Jim has planned for us this time or is Nolan gonna be a dick to him and not let Jim/Taraji give us anything? Because we all know Jim is a shipper of Careese XD** ***blowing kisses at Jim for giving us that kiss***_

_**Sorry, as I said my Careese feels are all over the freaking place, so much so I wrote pointless smut. Seriously no plot at all just Careese fucking one another again and again, in different places it was so satisfying to write it too. Maybe I'll post it but I shouldn't until I add a plot somewhere LOL**_

_**Sidenote: I added a paragraph to this so as always any mistakes are all mine!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

Shaw entered the safe house the next morning after Lionel had picked up their number's daughter from the friend's house. She found Finch in the dining room, seated at the table with his laptop open and on. "Where's Reese?" she questioned immediately. So help her if he ran on them, she was going to shoot him herself.

"Resting still, I think John hasn't had a restful night of sleep in a while and it's catching up with him."

She nodded, okay with that. "You checked on him?"

Finch smiled. "Of course, he's in the room asleep." He assured. "Last night I spoke with Elias and learned that there is a fifty thousand dollar bounty on John's head. It's to bring him in alive along with the flashdrive."

"Alive?" Shaw asked.

He nodded. "Alive."

"Why does she want him alive?"

"That is the fifty thousand dollar question, Ms. Shaw, I have no explanation, because if Ms. Veronica Freeman is afraid that John would I.D. her wouldn't that mean she would want him dead. But the bounty specifically says she wants him brought to her alive."

"Maybe their night was more than just sex as Reese would like us to believe."

"It wasn't." Both Shaw and Finch turned, seeing John enter the dining room. He was in the same clothes as he had been in last night, his hair rumpled. "It was just a meaningless night of sex." He said before sitting down across from Finch.

"For you maybe, but this woman wants you alive for some reason. Care to come up with a better explanation?" Shaw suggested.

"I don't have one but I doubt it's because she's madly in love with me after one night of forgettable passion," he snapped.

Shaw shook her head. "She's been searching for you for a while John, sure, it was one night of sex, but it's been months and years now of looking for you. You could have become an obsession. I've seen it take less time for men or women to become obsessed with someone."

"That may be, but I doubt it. Veronica sees me as a means to an end, nothing more and nothing less."

Finch looked at John. "You seem sure of that."

"As I said it was just sex for both of us. I was the unsuspecting fool she was going to bed to hide the flashdrive and she was just someone to have one night with," he said, looking embarrassed that he had given into his baser needs.

Shaw sat down thinking. "Okay, if obsession is out as I figured it was but needed to make sure, maybe the reason she wants Reese alive is to make sure there aren't any copies."

"Now that is a theory I can get on board with." John said as he leaned back.

Finch agreed that the theory was a decent one. "If she is planning on selling these secrets she stole, having duplicates out there would drive down the price if someone else managed to get a hold of them and try to sell them themselves. Money is a big motivator."

"Other countries would pay top dollar to get their hands on the secrets on the flashdrive, she'd make millions, so the fifty thousand on my head to bring me to her is a drop in the bucket in the scheme of things," John said before yawning.

"So if we go with that theory, she is having criminals search for you to bring you and the flashdrive to her and hand out fifty grand. She'll make sure you didn't make any copies and she has the sole version, then kill you and leave." Shaw said trying to roughly estimate the woman's thinking in their theory. "Sounds about right?"

Both Finch and John nodded. "So that means she'll want to meet somewhere secluded without a lot of people around to worry about," Finch said before drawing up Google Maps to look at different small towns in New York where they could set up this former CIA agent.

John looked at him questioningly. "What are you doing, Mr. Finch?"

He looked up. "Finch or Harold please, but, if we are going to safely end the threats to your life we need to set the trap."

"And how are you going to safely end the threats to my life, Finch?"

"Easy really, by giving Veronica Freeman what she wants, namely you and the flashdrive. My associate gave me the contact number to get in touch with her, if someone is somehow able to get you and the flashdrive. Ms. Shaw will pose as someone who managed to catch up to you, get the flashdrive, and call Ms. Freeman to set up the trade."

John cocked a brow before motioning with his eyes at the laptop screen. "You really think Veronica is going to let you pick the place, if we do this she'll be choosing."

Shaw nodded. "I agree with Reese, Finch. She's too smart to let us pick the place." Finch sighed, figuring that was too easy as he closed out the internet browser.

"What else would be in this plan, so far having me as bait sounds good, but I can't do it if it means my daughter will be orphaned. I went through too much to get here, I prefer running then making my daughter suffer another loss. So how are you going to deal with both her and the CIA?" John questioned. Finch nodded as his worry was a legitimate fear, one he was going to try to eradicate for the man as he had no intention of placing him in harm's way.

"Well, once we have the time and place set up for the drop off, we can anonymously give CIA informants the location of the trade," Finch finished explaining his still forming plan.

John shook his head. "That might work to get rid of Freeman but the CIA will still want to kill me."

Shaw smirked. "No they won't."

John turned to look at her. "Yeah, they will."

"No they won't because to them you'll already be dead."

"And how do you figure that Shaw?"

Finch smiled. "Because, John, we are going to kill you."

* * *

Joss sat at her desk, trying to focus on work rather than the tall man with big blue eyes who almost kissed her last night. She blinked, startled, when Fusco grumpily headed her way. "Did you hear?" he demanded, clearly incredulous and maybe even a little angry.

"Did I hear what, Fusco?"

"Did Einstein and the miniature gun-toting whackadoodle tell you their plan for my best friend?! It is beyond over the top and crazy, even for them!"

"No, they haven't, what are they planning?" Judging by Fusco's reaction it wasn't something he agreed with.

"They plan on killing John Davis," Fusco lamented angrily. She furrowed her brows, he must mean figuratively.

She motioned with her hand. "Keep talking, eventually you'll make sense, Fusco."

He exhaled. "Carter, they plan on pulling a ruse on the psycho woman John slept with, then faking John's death so the CIA will stop looking for him." He threw his hands up in the air. "Over my dead body am I letting this plan actually happen!" He whirled around, storming his way over to his desk before he yanked the chair out and sat down and stared at the little cop figure on his desk. "Hear that Glasses, and G.I. Jane, over my dead body!"

Joss winced as a couple of officers and detectives looked at him oddly as they walked by. "Careful, Fusco, you are talking to a little figurine, and you may become the one suspected of being a whackadoodle," she commented and was given a deadly look for it.

Her cell rang nearly immediately from the familiar number of Finch's. "Hey, so what's this I hear about a plan? Care to be more specific than Fusco?"

"Detective Fusco isn't thinking clearly as of right now, he is just worried about John. But can you thank him for me about bringing John's daughter here, John is much calmer and relieved now that his daughter is with him."

"I will, but back to this plan, Finch. What is it?"

"Ms. Shaw, Mr. Reese, and I believe it's a good plan."

"What plan is it, Finch?" she repeated succinctly.

"An associate learned that there is a bounty on John to bring him in alive along with the flashdrive. Ms. Shaw is going to pose as an unscrupulous bounty hunter who managed to snag John and get the flashdrive. She's going to call up the contact number I received from….someone and set up a drop off."

She narrowed her eyes. "This someone wouldn't be Carl Elias would it?" she questioned.

"That's not important, detective," Finch said and she made a sound, just as she figured.

She shook her head. "John isn't going anywhere, he's staying at that safe house with his daughter until this thing is over with."

"I agree."

She furrowed her brows. "So how are you going to do a tradeoff with John and the flashdrive if John isn't going to be in harm's way?"

"Ms. Shaw is having fun getting back at Mr. Reese for the black eye." Finch said with a sigh.

Joss furrowed her brows, before she received an incoming email from Finch. "What is it?"

"An audio clip, just listen to it." Finch said with a long suffering sigh.

Joss opened the attachment and hit play. Her brows rose. "Did she really put John in a trunk?" she demanded.

"Yes, she did. She said it had to be authentic. But don't worry all of this was done prior to his daughter arriving." She was glad to hear it especially from the cursing John was doing. Aubrey would have been frightened to learn that her dad was in a trunk sounding like a sailor.

She rolled her eyes as she hit pause. "So what's with the parlor tricks? Why was that necessary?"

"We need Ms. Freeman and the CIA to believe John is in the back of the trunk, which is why I'm going to have this audio looping on my poor unfortunate laptop that I must part ways with."

"What does that mean?"

"Ms. Shaw is going to rig the trunk with about ten pounds of explosives."

Joss's eyes raised high. "You plan on blowing up the car?"

"And that's where you and Detective Fusco come in to play, we need the CIA to believe John is dead so I really need you to work the case after John's supposed demise. We need you both to plant his DNA in the empty trunk so they will never know he's alive."

She reared back. "You are asking me to plant evidence, Finch."

"Detective, we need the CIA to believe John is dead. They are here to get the flashdrive, and kill Ms. Freeman and Mr. Reese. Mr. Reese is an innocent party, he never asked to be someone involved in this, and if we don't 'kill' him he'll never be free to live his life again."

"So you're going to effectively kill John Davis off. And then John Reese will be free to live his life?"

"Yes, their objectives will be all done; John will be 'dead', and they'll have Ms. Freeman to do what they want with and the flashdrive in their possession. We'll keep John hidden for a few days, make sure the CIA agents assigned to the case are gone, and then John can go back to living his new life as an instructor with the police academy and teacher of self-defense."

"But what about his old one, I thought we could manage to give him his real life back." It wasn't fair! John had to shed his life to protect himself and his daughter from their own government, how was this a good plan if it didn't get him back everything that was taken from him?

"I'm sorry detective but that's not in the cards for John. The only way to save him is to effectively kill John Davis."

"And John's okay with this, because once this is done it can never be undone?"

"He wants his daughter safe and is willing to do whatever it takes for that to happen, including faking his death, Jocelyn."

"Then I'm on board, he's a good man stuck in a bad situation."

"I agree."

She waited and closed her eyes. "How is he?" she asked somewhat reluctantly that she couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Who John?—he's alright. He's currently sitting in the living room, playing with his daughter." She smiled at the thought.

Before she could think better of it she spoke again. "I'll be there during lunch to see him and meet his daughter. I want him to know I'll do anything to help get him his life back."

"Alright, Jocelyn, and I'm glad you are on board and could you please talk to Detective Fusco, try to get him on board as well?"

She smiled. "Of course I will, Finch. And Fusco will be on board, just give him some time, he's just worried is all."

Finch made a sound of agreement. "I guess I'll see you in a little bit, Jocelyn." And with that he ended the call. She closed her eyes as she set her cell phone down, wondering why in the hell she had insisted on showing up at the safe house to speak to John, and to let him know she was backing the plan?

* * *

Aubrey sat in his lap while they watched cartoons when the door to the safe house opened and Joss entered. He was surprised and his daughter turned her head away from the TV. Aubrey watched every movement Joss made as she hung up her jacket on the hook, before walking down the steps to the living room. Shaw and Aubrey's meeting was awkward, John kind of felt bad for them both as Shaw had no idea how to talk to Aubrey, and his princess knew it.

Joss smiled. "So you must be that Aubrey that I heard so much about from your dad? My name is Joss." She greeted as she held out her hand for the girl to shake.

John looked at his out-going daughter oddly as Aubrey gave Joss a shy smile as she took Joss's hand. "Hi."

"You are a cutie." Joss said, as she let her hand go. "Is Elsa your favorite?" Joss motioned her head at the t-shirt the little girl wore of Frozen.

"Yeah, her and Olaf," the girl agreed.

"I love Olaf myself, a snowman who loves summer, what is better?" Joss said and the little girl giggled and nodded.

"You like Frozen?" she asked.

"Like it, I love the movie."

"Me too."

Joss shot John a look who was watching the two. His daughter was taking to Joss quickly, he could already see her blue eyes lighting up. "Does your daddy love it too?"

"Yes," the girl nodded her head enthusiastically. John smiled. The movie was better than most he was forced to watch with his little girl. Joss eyed him, waiting for affirmation Aubrey followed her look, and eyed him expectantly.

He sighed. Just great, now the two ladies were ganging up on him. "Yes," he agreed. His little girl turned to look at Joss again.

"I play soccer, Miss Joss."

"Just Joss please, and you do? I bet you are really good." The little girl nodded her head. "I played basketball when I was younger."

"You did, were you good too?"

"I was." Joss agreed. "I was named Miss Basketball for the state."

"Daddy played basketball when he was my age," Aubrey said proudly. Joss lifted her gaze to him.

"You did?"

"I did but I wasn't Aubrey's age I was a little older and didn't play for long. Aubrey gets the soccer love from her mother." He said, not about to talk about his past. Aubrey nodded her head.

"Daddy says Mommy was really good, I want to be as good as Mommy was."

"I bet your mommy was the best." Joss agreed. John listened as his daughter and Joss chatted like they were long lost buddies rather than two strangers meeting for the first time for another ten minutes before Joss got to her feet. "Can I steal your daddy for a moment, Aubrey?"

Aubrey smiled as she scrambled off his lap. "Uh-huh."

He climbed to his feet, moving to the corner of the room before turning to look back at Aubrey who was seated where he had been, watching her cartoons. He turned to look back at Joss. "I see someone likes you," John said with a soft smile.

"Aubrey is cute as a button," Joss said with a look at the little girl with long dark brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. The girl had his eyes all the way. They were mesmerizing. When Aubrey grew up John was going to be beating the boys away with a stick.

"She is beautiful in my very unbiased opinion," John agreed with a wink. Joss felt the full effects of his wink, of that soft smile, and adoring look he gave Aubrey. Oh god, she was flailing like a wounded duck here.

"So uh, I see someone got you some clothes." Joss murmured as she motioned at his new outfit.

He smiled, sure that wasn't what she wanted to say. "Yeah, Fusco went shopping for me because that Finch guy didn't want anyone near my place," he said and she nodded her head. "But you didn't want to talk to me about my clothes did you?"

"No, of course not."

And when she offered nothing else he spoke again. "Do you know about the plan?"

"Yes, I do, and I came here to tell you that I'll do whatever it takes to help get you your life back that you want."

"Thanks, Joss," he said sincerely. "I appreciate what all of you are doing."

"I'm just glad you're letting us help you."

"I had no choice."

She smiled and he gave an answering one. "Well, you had a choice but it would be unwise to turn us down, we are known to be persistent."

"So am I." he agreed, letting it sink in what he meant.

She swallowed and gave a nervous laugh. "I'm sure you are, John."

"Joss, do I make you nervous?"

She lifted her chin. "I don't have to answer that."

He chuckled. "Your non-answer is answer enough, Joss, what are you _really_ doing here?"

"As I said, to tell you I am going to do whatever it takes to help you."

His smile widened as he took a step forward and she took one back. He cocked one brow, before he took another forward and she took another back. "You came all the way here on your lunch break to tell me something you could have just relayed in a message or on the phone?" he questioned as he stopped playing the dance. His daughter was watching them and he didn't want her to think something was going on between them. He didn't even know what was going on between them? He didn't want love, he just wanted companionship, or at least that's what his head was telling him. Because his heart was beating fast, his pulse racing every time he was near this woman, and he was extremely happy his daughter took to Joss the way she had.

Joss winced. Now that he put it that way it did sound kind of lame reason to be here. "Well…uh, can you stop poking holes in my reason? I just wanted to tell you in person."

He smiled. "Alright, Joss, fine, I'll take you at your word."

"Thanks, I guess I should go since I came to say what I wanted to and I need to get some lunch before I head back to work." She said before looking past him. "Bye Aubrey,"

"Bye Miss Joss."

Joss eyed him. "Get her to stop calling me that, please!" She whispered.

He smiled. " I'll try." Joss nodded before she turned to walk to the door. She grabbed her jacket, turned to look at John who had turned and walked back to his daughter who was questioning who she was. She turned to look away from the cute twosome and left, feeling good.

* * *

AN: You know rereading this it kind of reminds me of the lengths the team went to 'kill' Shaw in Relevance. They even allowed Hersch to kill her and they saved her lol. OMG...John is my Shaw in this story. Hope you guys don't mind XD

Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

On the next day their number had to call in at work and call his daughter's school and tell them she was sick so that they were hidden at the safe-house. Mr. Reese's daughter was excited to play hooky and spend the day with her daddy. Finch felt himself forming an attachment to the man and the young child, which was unplanned and unusual. Finch was paranoid by nature, but John was an easy man to talk too, and his little girl was very sweet. She started calling him Uncle Finch once she realized Uncle Lionel and he were friends. Finch became more determined than ever to help save this man. The plan was to be executed this evening. Finch was going to stay with Mr. Reese and his daughter, while the two detectives were going to accompany Ms. Shaw during the handoff. Mr. Reese was uneasy with the fact that Detectives Carter and Fusco were both heading into danger because of him, however Finch had done his level best to assure their safety.

"I just want this over with." Mr. Reese commented and not for the first time. Finch could tell he was nervous about their plan and whether or not it would work. He had no doubt if the detectives and Ms. Shaw failed to get the CIA and Ms. Freeman to buy that John was deceased that he would disappear with his daughter, going on the run once more.

"I'm sure you do, John." Finch agreed while they sat in the dining room quietly while John's daughter was watching a movie that Fusco had brought over in the adjacent room. It was Snow White. "But it will be all over in a matter of hours."

John nodded. "I never figured this day would come, to maybe be free of what Veronica did."

"Just to be sure you understand, John, you'll never be able to locate old friends you once had as John Davis. It will be similar to being in witness protection."

"I told you, the only friend or family I have is Lionel."

Finch nodded his head. "After you have your new life back, are you going back on your quest to search for the truth of your wife's murder?"

John eyed him sharply. "You know about my wife's murder?"

"We know basically everything, like your wife's suicide might not be suicide, and that you suspect Peter Arndt, the man that she cheated on you with. There is no proof, no evidence that ties Peter to your wife's possible murder."

John sat back. "That's because the small town police of New Rochelle wrote off her murder as suicide. She didn't kill herself, Finch."

Finch wasn't nearly as convinced as everyone else that Jessica was murdered. Sure, there were inconsistencies but Finch drew up the woman's medical papers and she had been on some big time anti-depressants. Maybe Jessica couldn't handle losing this man. Maybe she was murdered, but proving it was going to be an uphill battle since there was nothing much to go on. "Maybe you'll never know what happened to your wife, John."

"That's not good enough for me."

"Searching for answers that you may never find could do more harm than good, Mr. Reese. You have a beautiful little girl to raise by yourself, and a life to live."

"Sometimes not knowing is more harmful." John said sincerely. "My daughter's mother was murdered and if I can't prove it, then Aubrey is going to believe her mother left her behind. I have to prove that Jessica was killed, that she didn't want to leave Aubrey."

"Are you sure you need to prove that for your daughter, John, or is it more for you?"

John swallowed hard. "Jessica would not have killed herself."

Finch eyed the man, sensing the man was going to look into this regardless of what he said. "Perhaps I could offer you some assistance in the endeavor."

John blinked his eyes in surprise. "You're offering to help me investigate and find out what happened to Jessica?"

"Yes, John."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"You didn't seem to think searching for answers was a good idea and now you're offering help? I'm just curious why the change in attitude Finch?"

Finch smiled. "Because I can see that you are determined to do this for your daughter and maybe even for yourself, maybe if I help then we can find out what really happened to Jessica."

John was a bit skeptical but he wasn't unwilling to accept any help. This man clearly had money and resources that he did not. "Okay, Finch, you have yourself a deal. I need to do this for my daughter, and for Jessica as well. She deserves to have her killer brought to justice."

"Alright, John, after your life isn't in danger we'll start searching for her killer together."

* * *

Fusco, Carter, and Shaw all showed up at the safe house later that evening. Carter distracted the little girl while she and Fusco grabbed Finch's laptop that he was donating to the cause. Shaw smirked at the man who eyed the white laptop wistfully. "Just imagine, Finch, this puppy will be blown into millions of pieces soon enough." Shaw cruelly stated as she patted the thing.

"Get it out of my sight," Finch said despondently as he turned to look away. Shaw snickered before eyeing Carter who was deep in conversation with their number and his little kid.

"Yo, Carter, let's go," Shaw called out. She looked up and nodded before saying something to the little girl. Shaw watched as their number caught Carter's hand, stopping her from leaving. He said something to her and Shaw rolled her eyes, wondering if the two would just suck face and get it over and done with. But they didn't, he let Carter go, and the woman hurried away with an odd expression on her face.

"Did you kiss your boyfriend goodbye?" Shaw joked as they exited the safe house with the laptop in tow. It was turned on, so Finch could hack into it and turn the audio loop on when it was time.

Carter's look was dark before she spoke. "He's not my boyfriend. Let's focus on the task at hand, getting John out of this situation." Shaw nodded, letting the woman deflect. They exited into the cold air. Shaw popped the trunk, before lifting it up.

Fusco whistled as he eyed the amount of explosives. "This will blow the car to kingdom come."

"Not really, but it is enough to make sure it's a death sentence. Finch is going to leak the fake intel to their informant when we meet up with Freeman. I already called, telling her I had her package. She wants to meet up at a suburb just on the outskirts of Manhattan which means CIA can arrive at the location quickly. But I guess there is a small park that is not well maintained with no cameras and very little lighting that is perfect to do the drop off," Shaw said as she situated the laptop in the trunk before slamming it shut. She hit her earwig. "Okay, Finch give it a test."

The three of them waited and soon the audio of John cursing and thumping angrily in a trunk sounded. "It sounds like he's in there and it comes through fine, Finch."

"_Alright, Ms. Shaw, call me the immediate moment you arrive for the drop off, I'll leak the information as soon as you do, and that will give you only a few minutes to do the trade and arm the mini bomb in your trunk before the CIA arrives_."

"Don't worry about me, Finch," she assured him before she disconnected. She looked at Carter and Fusco, motioning at the backseat. She opened the door before handing over sniper rifles. "You two will be on differing rooftops, keeping watch, if things go south you'll kneecap them." They nodded their heads, taking the guns.

"Let's do this," Fusco said with a smirk.

It was about a half hour later when Shaw arrived at the vacant and kind of decaying park they was meeting at. Shaw parked further into the dirt and gravel parking lot to make sure she had the car bomb nowhere it could do any unplanned damage. Shaw scanned her surroundings seeing the nice foliage, big large oak trees near a biker's trail that had trunks nearly bigger than ten of her that could give her some cover when she needed to hit the deck. Carter and Fusco left about ten minutes ahead of her, arriving at the coordinates she gave them previously, so they could scout out the right rooftops in the area. "Carter, Fusco, you in position?" Shaw asked.

"_I'm in position_." Joss agreed before a little red laser light blinked on her chest.

"_Me too_," Fusco said over the earwig doing much the same thing.

Shaw rolled her eyes before connecting with Finch. "I just arrived. No sign of Freeman just yet. I guess she's going to be fashionably late?"

"_What do you want me to do, Ms. Shaw?_" Finch spoke up on the earwig.

"Leak the fake intel to the known CIA informant anyway, Finch."

"_Are you sure?_"

"Yeah, she won't be that late, not with the goods I say I have. But stay connected, Finch, that way you can hear my cue for the audio to be looped." She assured.

"_Alright,_" and with that Finch went silent. Shaw exited her car, slamming the door shut. Freeman arrived a couple minutes later. Shaw glared at the blonde as she exited the car. "I don't like being held up," Shaw sneered.

"I'm sorry but traffic was a bitch," she said teasingly. Shaw hid her disdain for the former CIA agent. She was sworn to protect the country but instead turned on it. "Where is he?"

"Oh the sad sack?" Shaw said, which was Finch's verbal cue to start the audio. "He is in the trunk, he put up a good fight but he was no match to my taser." Shaw motioned at her black eye first then over her shoulder as sounds of thumping and shouting came from her trunk, as she held out Root's taser that she borrowed. "And here is the flashdrive." She pulled it out of her pocket so Freeman could see it. The lady reached out to take it from her but Shaw snatched it back. "First my money, then you get the flashdrive and the hot guy in the trunk."

Veronica smiled. "Alright, you drive a hard bargain." She agreed before flinging the duffel bag she was carrying on the ground. "Fifty thousand, all in hundreds, are in there."

Shaw smirked as she threw the flashdrive in the air, making the woman have to go retrieve it. Shaw threw it hard and well away from Freeman that earned her a look, but Shaw shrugged. "And take the keys too, I stole the stupid car anyway," Shaw said throwing the keys in her direction, but far enough away from her to give her a chance to get a clean getaway. Shaw had less than a minute before the CIA arrived and the moment they opened the trunk it would set off the rigged explosives. She didn't even bother to look into the duffel bag, instead grabbed it and ran towards the biker's trail for cover.

"_Shaw get down, an unmarked black SUV is speeding your way it's obvious CIA is coming. The leaked but fake intel got to them just as we wanted it_." Joss whispered through the earwig. Shaw didn't have to be told twice, as she hunkered to the ground, hiding beside bushes and behind the large and very old oak trees. She peered out, looking between the foliage in the shadows to keep an eye on the scene.

Veronica had him now. She had spent a very long time looking for John and this flashdrive and now her long wait was finally over. John had been exceedingly amazing lover even drunk. She was going to offer him one chance to come with her and if he declined, he was a dead man. She turned around and saw that the woman who got him for her had all but disappeared must have gone down the bike trail.

Veronica turned when she heard a SUV pull up. Kara Stanton, Grimes, and Mark Snow exited it with their guns drawn and aimed at her. Veronica realized too late it was a setup, as the bitch that had gotten John must work for the CIA.

"Well hello Freeman, we have been searching for you for a long time." Kara said. "And you have helped us by bringing us Davis and the flashdrive." Kara motioned at the car before pinning her with dead eyes. "Veronica Freeman, you committed treason, a crime punishable by death, hand the flashdrive over."

"You're going to kill me either way, Kara," she whispered as she pulled her gun out.

"_This could be bad if they don't open that trunk, it won't blow up and John won't technically die_." Carter whispered via the earwig.

"The bomb is set to go off in about thirty seconds as a fail-safe option." Shaw whispered back, watchful of the scene before her and careful to not make a sound to alert them of her presence.

The tense scene unfolding before them grew even more tense when everyone eyed Shaw's car as an odd buzzing noise mixed in the thumping and cursing they heard the audio of John was making. Their eyes widened. "Freeman is going to blow Davis up," Stanton yelled as she, Snow, and her partner hid behind the SUV as the car exploded, sending Freeman flying to the ground from the blast wave.

"And boom, John Davis is effectively dead." Shaw whispered gleefully.

"_We hope_," Fusco whispered hopeful.

Veronica rolled over and stared in shock as the car was engulfed in flames before Kara fired her gun that made no noise thanks to the silencer. Veronica Freeman's head snapped back, blood spraying everywhere before she fell onto her back on the dirt parking lot lifelessly.

Mark motioned at her body. "Grimes and I will grab Freeman, while you grab the gravel with her blood on it. We don't want to leave any physical trace she ever was here."

"What about Davis and the woman that grabbed him?" Kara motioned at the burning car.

Snow shrugged. "We don't have time to care about who grabbed Davis, he's dead, so leave it burning, I hear sirens off in the distance. They'll see an unmarked SUV without a license plate leaving the scene of the crime so they have no trace back to us. We can't leave any trace of Freeman," he stated as he grabbed the flashdrive, pocketing it, before he crouched down with Grimes and hefted the dead woman's feet while Grimes grabbed under the shoulders. Stanton hurried to the trunk of the SUV took out a garbage bag, before scooping up gravel and dirt with the woman's blood on it. Once Kara was finished with making the scene look like just a burning car, she threw the trash bag into the SUV next to the dead body, slamming the trunk door shut.

Kara eyed the burning car. "Damn, I really want to fuck him while I tortured him too." she muttered to herself. Easy come, easy go, but now they could get back to Paris. Maybe she could convince Grimes to climb into the sack again, and with that she turned and climbed into the passenger side seat.

Shaw kept in the shadows as she connected with Finch. "Hey, Finch, how's Reese?"

"_Nervous, he hopes this is all over._"

"Well Davis is effectively dead to the CIA, they shouldn't be coming around. Do you have ears on the agents yet?" Shaw asked. Finch had included a tiny little GPS tracker on the flashdrive, which he was going to use as coordinates to know where the CIA were headed, and hack into the car's navigation and stereo system to listen in on them. Thank god Finch was on the side of good!

"_I do, they are calling and checking in_."

"Give me details when you have them, Finch."

"_Will do, Ms. Shaw_."

"Just tell Reese he's close to having his new life back."

"_I'll let him know_."

And with that they disconnected once more.

* * *

They all had arrived at the safe house. John's daughter was asleep in the next room, cartoons blaring, and Joss found a relieved and smiling John. "Hey," she greeted.

"Thank you, all of you, for this." he said sincerely looking from her, to them all.

Shaw nodded. "You won't have to wait days to get back to your life."

"I won't?" John sounded cautiously optimistic with that.

"No. Snow, Stanton, and Grimes are already headed to the airport to head back to Paris to finish up their ongoing mission there. This was a little side mission. They gave their report that you were dead as well as Veronica Freeman."

"But to be sure that the CIA doesn't send anyone back to make sure, as planned we still planted evidence of your DNA being found in that trunk." Joss added.

Fusco nodded. "Yeah, wonder-boy, Carter and I assigned ourselves to your murder to find out who fake killed you; that case will end up going cold."

"So that means I can get back to my life, I don't have to call in and miss everything anymore. I hate that I had to cancel a session for those women learning self-defense."

"No more calling in, unless the bounty on your head has not been dissolved, but Ms. Shaw and I are going to be remain vigilant to make sure there is no lingering problems for you to get back to your new life." Finch agreed as he was going to keep the hidden cameras he placed in and around John's home on for a few weeks more to keep watch. You could never be too careful, not with the government after you. But from the way the CIA left after the case and never bothered John's daughter, Finch assumed that the CIA never learned John's alias which was good news for the man and child. It could have been much worse had they.

John smiled. "So could you guys give me a lift to my place? I want to have my daughter sleep in her own bed, so that she's well rested and back in her usual routine for school tomorrow."

"I'll give you a lift. I'll go get Sleeping Beauty," Fusco assured him, moving to go grab Aubrey.

"I'll go warm up your car for you, detective," Finch added as he took the man's keys to help. After a few minutes Fusco came out with a little girl in his arms, curled inward, arms hanging loosely at her sides. Aubrey was out of it. John's eyes grew soft as he eyed his daughter. He helped Fusco get a jacket to protect her from the cold.

Shaw yawned. "I'm going to go home and hit the sack, now that your safe," she said before turning to leave herself. And with that, it left only Joss and John alone in the safe house.

"So," she started slowly. He turned to look away from the door to eye her. "I'm glad you're safe, John."

He peered down into her eyes. "Thank you for helping me get that way. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this, fake my death, get rid of the CIA or Veronica, had it not been for you and these odd friends of yours."

She smiled. "I'm sure you could handle yourself, judging by the black eye you gave Shaw."

He chuckled. "I don't usually hit women, but I thought she was CIA or some other government worker coming after me."

"So what's next for John Reese?"

"Get back to work, get back into this life. It might not be my real name but the life is mine and I enjoy it. Finch agreed to help me find out what happened to Aubrey's mother."

"If you need anything with that, let me know, and I'd be glad to offer some assistance," Joss offered.

"Thanks, I might take you up on that, Joss." He said as he grabbed his jacket, tugging it on.

She wrung her hands together. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so." he agreed.

She tried to force a smile before she turned to walk to the door, when he grabbed her elbow, and tugged her to him. Before she could even utter a single sound, his lips were on hers, and she sighed softly. Joss found herself helplessly kissing him back without an ounce of hesitation. What was the matter with her? She told him the truth the other night about the date only being for work. But yet here she was kissing him back just as eagerly as he was kissing her. She longed for him to deepen the kiss but instead he pushed her back.

"Uh, what was that for?" she asked a little breathless.

He smiled softly at her before leaning down. "Because I have wanted to do that all damn day, see you around detective," he whispered into her ear before letting her go and she felt uneven as she watched him leave.

* * *

AN: So I originally wanted John to be more apart of the plan and take down of Veronica and freeing himself of the CIA, but, as I wrote it I felt like this way was the way to go. As much as I wanted John to be his BAMF self I felt having Shaw, Fusco, and Carter doing it with Finch's assistance was more natural for this particular story as John is not a team member yet. Also I somewhat enjoyed the team pulling the wool over the eyes of the CIA while leaving a chance to bring back Kara. Because seriously I freaking love that whackjob!

Pointless smut for smut's sake should be coming to you guys soon with a flimsy plot that I added but you may harm me as I deleted some smut out of it and kept it for something else. But don't worry there is more than enough smut that you won't even miss it ;D

Thanks for reading XOXOXOXOXOX


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a couple weeks since John's number had come up. Joss and Fusco had 'investigated' John's death as they normally would, just in case, and the case conveniently went cold. They needed to make sure if the CIA decided to check just to be sure, that it looked right. But the machine stopped issuing John's numbers, the bounty on his head dissolved the same night they faked his death, and probably for the first time in a couple years John could breathe a little easier.

In those few weeks' time, she hadn't heard or seen much of the sexy single dad who intrigued and interested her, which saddened her. So instead she focused on work, discreetly asking Fusco here and there how John was. However, it didn't go unnoticed by Fusco who typically grumbled 'alright' or 'he's fine' to her.

Her misfit friends had called for assistance now and again, but nothing out of the realm of normality or as normal as her weird pals could get, and everything was dialing back a little thankfully. It gave her a chance to breathe. Fusco was out to lunch, eating with a new woman that he wouldn't breathe a word to her about nor let her meet. She had a feeling he didn't trust her to not run a background check on her, or go all army interrogator on her to make sure she was good enough for him, which was good, since that's exactly what she would do. As only the best for Fusco were allowed, in her modest opinion.

She felt more relaxed then she had in a long time as she began filling out a time slip. "Hello, detective," and like that her relaxed state went straight to hell as she pressed the pencil so hard into the paper that the graphite point broke. Joss lifted her head up in startled joy that she quickly masked, recognizing that sexy voice anywhere. John sauntered his way over towards her desk, looking like a walking sex god in tight jeans and a blue sweater peeking out from underneath his leather coat.

She pretended to be unaffected as his sexy and intoxicating scent surrounded her. "Hi, John, what are you doing here?" Okay, she sounded nonchalant about it, while internally her heart raced.

He smiled as if he could see through her façade and could tell the affect he had on her. "I came by to ask you to go out with me, tonight."

"I-I-I can't." she stuttered as she nearly said yes without thought.

"Why not?"

"Well you remember that guy I told you about, Cal. Well, I'm not over him and certainly not ready to date just yet."

John's blue eyes twinkled. "Could have fooled me, detective, you kiss like you're over him."

She ignored the way he said 'detective,' it sounded way too sexy if you asked her. But when he purred her name it made her uncomfortable between the legs. "To be fair, you kissed me, John," she countered as she sat back in her seat.

John's smile was definitely male and kind of smug, which annoyed her. "I did, but you kissed me back," he pointed out.

She had nothing to say back because it was true, she had kissed him back, and wanted him to deepen the kiss. So instead she changed the subject on him. "How did you get in here?" she asked suddenly, eyeing the bullpen.

He shrugged. "I was called in for questioning."

"For?"

"One of my cadets was arrested and the detectives on the case wanted to speak with all his instructors at the academy to see if we knew anything. I could only tell them that Cadet Bettis had some anger problems because he blew up at a fellow cadet the day prior to his arrest."

"What happened?"

"The cadet is being charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, they were going to try for attempted murder, but didn't think they could prove it. I guess Bettis beat the hell out of some guy with a hammer," he responded. "But you're trying to distract me, Joss." And she closed her eyes as her name flowed out of that sexy mouth like a croon. Joss shifted in her seat as it worked its unwanted and embarrassing magic on her.

She reopened her eyes, denying his claim. "No I was just curious why you were here," she said, seeing that widening grin on his sexy face. He didn't believe her one bit. "I'm sorry, John, I just am not ready to date."

After a few moments he nodded his head. "Alright, thank you for being honest with me." he said sincerely.

She nodded. "How about friendship?" she asked suddenly. That way they could be in each other's orbit. She would have to fight her intense attraction to this man but she could handle it. She was an adult, as was he.

He looked at her. "I'm not sure I can handle being just your friend, Joss," he admitted softly.

She felt her face fall. "Oh," so this was it, she was never going to see this man again. That hurt immensely.

"But I'll try because I don't want to think that I'll never see you again," John finished and she looked up and smiled genuinely.

"Thank you, John," she admitted. Not many men would still want to be friends with a woman that turned them down. But she learned quickly that John wasn't like any man she had ever met before.

John smiled. "See you around, _friend," _he said before turning around. He would let her process the death of this man, Cal, and when she did and was ready to date again then he was going to pursue his sexy little detective.

* * *

AN: The End! Thank you for reading I appreciate it so much, and glad you guys were down for another AU with Careese. *skips merrily away* Okay kidding aside, because I fear for my health if I kid too long but this is the end of First Comes Friendship as they are friends now, but there is a second story as I made this into a mini little series because I enjoyed writing a slow burn between them. I had a certain timeframe in mind since both John and Joss are damaged by their pasts and not prone to rush into anything. So the second story will be called, _Then Comes Love_. I will probably start posting in a few weeks, maybe sooner not too sure when. But just because I love being a tease here is a little teaser from chapter one of Careese when Carter walks in on one of John's self-defense classes ;D

**Joss smirked as she stepped over John, smiling sweetly down at him with her legs on either side of his hips. He rested those nice hands on her ankles. "I was just letting you get prepared to be on your back beneath me, John," she teased, hiding the fact that she had been too engrossed in the feeling of him pressing up against her that she had stupidly stood there.**

Seriously though thank you for reading and next story deals with Peter/Jessica, more backstory is filled in with John, and Careese-well the title gives away what will happen with them it becomes a question of how much crap do they have to muck through to finally realize they are in love ;D So I hope you guys enjoy the sequel XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX


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